Mitigation circuitry generating cross correlation doppler/code LAG variable comparison value

ABSTRACT

A receiver ( 100 ) is provided for signals of different signal strengths and modulated with respective pseudorandom noise (PN) codes. The receiver ( 100 ) includes a correlator circuit ( 120 ) operable to correlate the signals with a selectable locally-issued PN code having a Doppler and a code lag to produce a peak, the correlator circuit ( 120 ) being subject to cross correlation with a distinct PN code carried by least one of the signals that can produce cross correlation; and a cross correlation circuit ( 370, 400 ) operable to generate a variable comparison value related to the cross correlation as a function of values representing a Doppler difference and a code lag difference between the locally-issued PN code and the distinct PN code, and to use the variable comparison value to reject the peak as invalid from cross correlation or to pass the peak as a valid received peak.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to provisional U.S. patent application“Enhanced Cross Correlation Mitigation Techniques For PositioningReceiver” Ser. No. 61/257,239, filed Nov. 2, 2009, for which priority isclaimed under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) and all other applicable law, and whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

US published patent application 20090168843 dated Jul. 2, 2009“Power-Saving Receiver Circuits, Systems and Processes” Ser. No.12/244,060, filed Oct. 2, 2008, is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

US published patent application 20090054075 Feb. 26, 2009, “Satellite(GPS) Assisted Clock Apparatus, Circuits, Systems and Processes forCellular Terminals on Asynchronous Networks,” Ser. No. 11/844,006, filedAug. 3, 2007, is also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION

Portions of this patent application contain materials that are subjectto copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to thefacsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document, or the patentdisclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent and TrademarkOffice, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

GPS (Global Positioning System) is an earth-satellite-based electronicsystem for enabling GPS receivers in ships, aircraft, land vehicles andland stations to determine their geographic and spatial position such asin latitude, longitude, and altitude. Discussion of GPS herein iswithout limitation to other analogous electronic systems as well asapplicable receiver circuits in a variety of telecommunication systems.

It would be desirable to even more accurately, reliably, rapidly,conveniently and economically search for, acquire, and track receivedsignals and maintain accurate time, position, velocity, and/oracceleration estimation in a communication device having a satellitepositioning receiver (SPR) or other receiver and its clock source.

Current GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers and other positioningand communications receivers are expected to operate in high dynamicrange (e.g., a range of 38 db or so) of receive powers from differentsatellites and other transmitting sources. The cross correlationprotection provided by the 1 ms PN (pseudorandom noise) codes used byGPS satellites, for instance, is not sufficient for such a large dynamicrange, which is problematic. The cross correlation problem occurs mainlywhen the Dopplers are close by or same as each other or their Dopplerdifference is close to a one kilohertz (1 Khz) or a multiple of 1 KHz.The 1 KHz or multiple is involved because of the periodicity of thePN-code, e.g., 1 ms in GPS.

Some positioning receivers such as GPS receivers need to operate inindoor environments and/or for urban canyon environments and otherwisewhere the dynamic range of receive satellite signal powers is high,typically 25-35 db or more. Cross correlation interference is a problemespecially in GPS receivers because the PN-codes are not designed tooperate in such wide power ranges. For another example, the open-skypower level can be as high as −125 dBm whereas current GPS receivers cantarget to acquire and track signals with power level as low as −163 dBmor smaller. The GPS system was not designed for such a large dynamicrange of nearly 38 db. The basic cross correlation protection offered bythe PN codes of various satellites is only about 20 db. Crosscorrelation issues arise with zero and non-zero Doppler-differencemultiples of 1 KHz across satellites.

Cross correlation mitigation techniques hitherto have been undesirablyconservative or pessimistic in nature and tend to reject valid lowerpower satellite vehicle (SV) signals as cross correlation. One approach,called Approach 1 here, involves a power difference determination. If alow power peak is detected at a Doppler difference of one kilohertz ormultiple away from already detected higher power SV2 peak and if adifference of SV signal powers C/No is 18 dB or more, then the low powerpeak is declared or regarded as a cross correlation peak and not used.Such threshold of 18 db is based on or derived from the worst-case crosscorrelation coefficient between two PN codes. This detection approach isundesirably conservative or pessimistic in nature because the low powermeasurement could be a genuine or uncorrupted valid lower power peak ofan actual satellite vehicle, designated SV1 here.

Limitations of such approach are first, being undesirably conservativein nature and regarding even true lower power peaks as suspect andrejecting them as if they were undesirable cross correlation peaks. Thisresults in a starvation of positioning and other navigationalmeasurements in difficult satellite visibility conditions. It isbelieved that one cannot make such conservative approach more aggressivewithout undesirably impacting the probability of false detection thatsuch approach by nature also involves.

New GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) standards are beingdesigned to have better cross correlation rejection properties. TheRussian system called Glonass uses FDMA (Frequency Division MultipleAccess) technique wherein each satellite vehicle SVx uses a differentcarrier frequency and provides cross correlation rejection of around 45db or higher. The European system called Galileo uses a longerpseudo-noise PN code (4 ms, 4092 long, four times longer than GPS),thereby having less issue with cross correlation compared to the crosscorrelation problem that GPS poses. This disclosure is applicable toGalileo as well, since even Galileo will have cross correlationproblems, even though it is better than GPS. However, GPS is a widelyused GNSS and the need for improved GPS receivers is substantial both interms of the cross correlation performance issue itself as well as thelarge market for GPS receivers. Moreover, the cross correlation problemcan be expected in any GNSS whether GPS or otherwise in which thedynamic range of received satellite signal powers exceeds in magnitudethe cross correlation protection offered by the code. Accordingly, asGNSS receivers with wide and wider dynamic ranges become increasinglypervasive in the market, this problem can increasingly confront users ofGPS and any other applicable GNSS. In addition, this problem canconfront users of any spread spectrum system such as CDMA (code divisionmultiple access) processing received signals of wide enough dynamicrange relative to cross correlation protection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally and in one form of the invention, a receiver is provided forsignals of different signal strengths and modulated with respectivepseudorandom noise (PN) codes. The receiver includes a correlatorcircuit operable to correlate the signals with a selectablelocally-issued PN code having a Doppler and a code lag to produce apeak, the correlator circuit being subject to cross correlation with adistinct PN code carried by least one of the signals that can producecross correlation; and a cross correlation circuit operable to generatea variable comparison value related to the cross correlation as afunction of values representing a Doppler difference and a code lagdifference between the locally-issued PN code and the distinct PN code,and to use the variable comparison value to reject the peak as invalidfrom cross correlation or to pass the peak as a valid received peak.

Generally, a further form of the invention involves a power managementprocess for use with a receiver for signals of different signalstrengths and modulated with respective pseudorandom noise (PN) codes,the process including electronically seeking a higher-power peak and itscode lag and Doppler using one locally-issued PN code and electronicallyseeking a lower power peak using a second locally-issued PN code havingan associated code lag and associated Doppler; and selectively executingand selectively preventing electronic generation of a value related tothe cross correlation between the first and second locally-issued PNcodes given a relative code lag and rotated as a function of adifference between the Doppler of the higher-power peak and theassociated Doppler, wherein the selectively preventing is operative ifthe higher power peak is insufficiently higher in power than the lowerpower peak, whereby power is saved.

Generally, an additional form of the invention involves an interferencemitigation device for signals of different signal strengths andmodulated with respective pseudorandom noise (PN) codes, theinterference mitigation device including a correlator circuit operableto correlate the received signals with a selectable locally-issued PNcode to produce a peak having a pseudo range and a pseudo rangeestimation error, the correlator circuit being subject to crosscorrelation that produces a cross correlation peak; and a crosscorrelation detector operable to determine whether a computedpseudorange, considering the pseudo range estimation error, fails toencompass an integer chip value away from the pseudorange of a highpower peak already produced by the correlator using anotherlocally-issued PN code, and to use the determination to validate a crosscorrelation peak.

Generally, a still further form of the invention involves a crosscorrelation interference estimation circuit including a pseudo randomnoise (PN) code issuing circuit operable to issue a selected pair ofdifferent PN codes having a relative code lag and continually rotatedrelative to each other according to a relative Doppler shift, and amultiply accumulate circuit (MAC) operable to cross correlate theselected pair of PN codes having the relative code lag and continuallyrotated.

Generally, still another form of the invention involves a code-divisionsignal processor for signals of different signal strengths and modulatedwith respective pseudorandom noise (PN) codes, the code-division signalprocessor including a correlator circuit operable in first and secondintegration periods of different durations to correlate the receivedsignals each of the integration periods with a selectable locally-issuedPN code to find a given peak in each of the integration periods, thecorrelator circuit being subject to cross correlation peaks; and a crosscorrelation detector operable to do a comparison of the strength of thegiven peak in the first integration period with its strength in thesecond integration period and to reject the given peak as a crosscorrelation peak or pass the given peak as a valid received peakdepending on the comparison.

Generally, another further form of the invention involves a correlationdetector for signals of different signal strengths and modulated withrespective pseudorandom noise (PN) codes, the correlation detectorincluding a correlator circuit operable to correlate the receivedsignals with a selectable locally-issued PN code to produce a peak, thecorrelator circuit being subject to cross correlation; and a crosscorrelation circuit operable to concurrently cross correlate thelocally-issued PN code, using another locally-issued PN code with pluralrelative code lags between the PN codes and continually rotated relativeto each other, thereby to supply plural values representing crosscorrelation, and further operable according to a decision criterion tomake a determination whether any of the plural values both representssignificant correlation and lies close enough to the peak to interferewith the peak.

Generally, further additional form of the invention involves a crosscorrelation protection system including non-zero integer KHz relativeDoppler cross correlation mitigation mechanisms having outputs coupledaccording to a decision function for increasing confidence of a validpeak identification, and at least one zero relative Doppler crosscorrelation mitigation mechanism selectively operable in coordinationwith the non-zero integer KHz relative Doppler cross correlationmitigation mechanisms so that a combined mechanism for integer KHzrelative Doppler cross correlation mitigation is provided.

Generally, another form of the invention involves a satellite trackingprocess for a lower power satellite signal in the presence of at leastone higher power satellite signal wherein Dopplers of the satellitesignals change with time. The tracking process involves tracking acorrelation peak having a position for the lower power signal,evaluating a difference between the Dopplers over time, and detectingwhen the evaluated difference between the Dopplers comes close to aninteger KHz amount. If the evaluated difference comes close, then theprocess estimates cross-correlation between the signals at the positionof the peak, compares the peak with the estimated cross-correlation, andvalidates or invalidates the peak depending on the comparison. Theforegoing tracking process is repeatedly performed to update thevalidating and invalidating over time.

Other receivers, circuits, devices, systems, methods of operation andprocesses of manufacture are also disclosed and claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram of a user with an inventive mobile devicesupported by a positioning system with satellite vehicles (SVs).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an inventive positioning receiver for usein the mobile device of FIG. 1 and improved according to the inventivestructures and processes depicted in the other Figures.

FIG. 3A is a diagram of received signal information versus time for thereceiver of FIG. 2 showing repetition of a symbol A followed byrepetition of another symbol B with randomly displaced inter-symbol bitedges for two satellites SV1 and SV2.

FIG. 3B is a voltage versus time diagram with the time scale magnifiedrelative to that of FIG. 3A showing a repeated pseudorandom noise (PN)sequence.

FIG. 3C is a voltage versus time diagram with the time scale same as inFIG. 3B showing binary (+1, −1) data impressed on successive repetitionsof the pseudorandom noise (PN) sequence of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4 is a hypothetical spectrum of signal level versus Doppler shiftfor two satellites.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a portion of the positioning receiver ofFIG. 2 and improved according to inventive structures and processesdetailed in the other Figures.

FIG. 6 is a graph of an hypothesis search space having two dimensionsfor Doppler and code lag (code phase), for use by the receiverstructures and processes in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram emphasizing receiver structures pertaining tothe hypothesis search of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a composite graph of correlation output strength versus PNcode lag c, depicting peaks for a high-powered and a low poweredsatellite signal as well as invalid cross correlation peaks that resultfrom correlation in the receiver of FIGS. 2, 5, and 7.

FIG. 9 is a graph of cumulative probability density as a function ofamplitude in db of cross correlation coefficients arising across Dopplerdifferences, PN codes of satellites, and code phases.

FIG. 10 is a pair of superimposed graphs, with a first graph ofamplitude versus code lag c₁ of a valid SV1 satellite signal peak havingDoppler shift f1 shown at two different example low power SV1 peakpositions as the SV1 peak moves, and a second graph of amplitude versusa code phase variable c₁−c ² representing cross correlation coefficientsas a function in general of the code phase variable and a Dopplerdifference variable f, and the second graph superimposed on the firstgraph to make the particular cross correlation coefficient valuecorresponding to a particular code lag c₁−c₂ and particular Dopplerdifference f=f1−f2 between the satellite signals for SV1 and SV2 in FIG.8 coincide with the SV1 peak at a given time, where the SV2 satellitesignal of FIG. 8 has code lag c₂ and Doppler shift f2 at the time.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram emphasizing inventive receiver structures inFIGS. 5 and 20 wherein a control microprocessor has software that callsfor electronic computation or estimation of one or more crosscorrelation coefficients of FIG. 10 from a dedicated hardware module.

FIG. 11A is a dwell processing flow diagram of an inventive process forchecking whether a peak is a true peak or a cross correlation peak, withthe process suitably performed in the structures of FIG. 11.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of another inventive process for qualifying apeak as a true peak or an invalid peak, with the process suitablyperformed in the structures of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13A is a graph of “X” symbols representing various scenarios ofreceived signal strengths of different acquired satellites for inventiveprocessing with dynamic thresholds or variable comparison valuesaccording to inventive processes of FIGS. 11A, 12, 16, and otherFigures.

FIG. 13B is a detail of Scenario 2 of FIG. 13A showing different dynamicsatellite-specific thresholds generated according to an inventiveprocess herein for different satellite signals.

FIG. 14 is a graph of Good Data status versus time for a givensatellite.

FIG. 15 is a graph of Good Data status versus time for a low-powersatellite signal before and after arrival of a high-power satellitesignal.

FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of another inventive process (Mechanism 1) forqualifying a peak as a true peak, with the process suitably performed inthe structures of FIGS. 5, 11 and 20.

FIG. 17 is a detail of a portion of the process flow of FIG. 16 toexecute an inventive power management process using preliminary checksor pre-qualification processing for possibly significant crosscorrelation.

FIG. 18 is a detail of an alternative to that of FIG. 17 for aninventive power management process using preliminary checks for crosscorrelation and where more than one high powered satellite signal mayhave integer KHz Doppler difference relative to a low-power satellitesignal subject to search.

FIG. 19 is a flow diagram of an alternative inventive process forqualifying a peak as a true peak, with the process suitably performed inthe structures of FIGS. 5, 11 and 20.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram of an inventive dedicated hardware module orstructure for FIGS. 5 and 11 and other Figures to electronically computeone or more estimated cross correlation coefficients in response to arequest issued by software, hardware, or firmware.

FIG. 20A is a timing diagram depicting programmable code lags of PNcodes for generating cross correlation coefficients in the structure ofFIG. 20.

FIG. 20B is a state transition diagram of an inventive process for aninventive state machine to control operations in the hardware module ofFIG. 20.

FIG. 21 is a graph of number of positioning-useful satellites versustime in a pessimistic reception process, when by contrast the use of aninventive receiver can utilize all the visible SVs.

FIG. 22 is a flow diagram of another inventive process (Mechanism 2, Way1) for qualifying a peak as a true peak using a comparison of pseudorange and Doppler, with the process shown as either an alternative orsupplement to a portion of FIG. 16 and suitably performed in thestructures and flows of FIGS. 5 and 11 and other Figures will.

FIG. 23 is a flow diagram of another inventive process (Mechanism 3) forqualifying a peak as a true peak using a test of integer-chips-away froma higher power peak where the cross correlation peak will be a smearedpeak if Doppler difference is larger, with the process shown as eitheran alternative or supplement to a portion of FIG. 16 and suitablyperformed in the structures and flows of FIGS. 5 and 11 and otherFigures.

FIG. 24 is a flow diagram of another inventive process (Mechanism 2, Way2) for qualifying a peak as a true peak or not, by averaging severaldifferent cross correlation coefficients from FIG. 20 as if the peakwere a smeared peak, with the process shown as either an alternative orsupplement to a portion of FIG. 16 and suitably performed in thestructures and flows of FIGS. 5 and 11 and other Figures.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram of a set of coherent summing processes,Doppler adjustments over time to them, and a noncoherent summing processfor an inventive AD (accumulate and dump) receiver of FIGS. 2, 5, 11 andother Figures.

FIG. 26 is a graph of estimated cross correlation coefficients from thecircuit of FIG. 20 and useful in some forms of the processes of FIGS. 24and 33-35.

FIG. 27 is a graph of amplitude versus code lag of a PN code correlatedwith itself to produce a triangular unsmeared peak.

FIG. 28A is a graph of amplitude versus code lag of successive trianglesrepresenting cross correlation of a PN code with another PN code andaccumulated in FIG. 25 over a dwell time to produce a smeared peak withan attenuation A and a smearing time relative to an unsmeared peak.

FIG. 28B is a magnified graph of amplitude versus code lag analogous toFIG. 27 and showing a relationship of average area under part of theunsmeared peak to the attenuation A and a lower Level L of the smearedpeak of FIG. 28A.

FIG. 29A is a graph analogous to FIG. 28A but wherein the smearing timeis substantially greater than in FIG. 28A.

FIG. 29B is a magnified graph of amplitude versus code lag analogous toFIG. 27 and showing a relationship of average area under all of theunsmeared peak to attenuation A of the smeared peak of FIG. 29A.

FIGS. 30A and 30B are respective graphs each showing both attenuation Aand Level L of the smeared peaks of both FIGS. 28A and 29A versus aratio in FIG. 30A of smearing time relative to chip time or versus areciprocal ratio in FIG. 30B.

FIG. 30C is a graph of average height of a smeared peak versus the ratioof smearing time to chip time.

FIG. 31 is a flow diagram of another inventive process (Mechanism 4) forqualifying a peak as a true peak using a peak width metric, with theprocess shown as either an alternative or supplemental portion to aportion of FIG. 16 and suitably performed in the structures of FIGS. 5and 11.

FIG. 32 is a flow diagram of an inventive process (Mechanism 5) of crosscorrelation protection for tracking for qualifying a peak as a true peakor not using long integration to test for cross correlation smearing ofthe peak, where long integration can be used to more reliably track thelow power peak in the presence of cross correlation peaks from thehigher power SV's, and long integration is equivalent to smallertracking bandwidth.

FIG. 33 is a flow diagram of another inventive process (Mechanism 6) ofcross correlation protection for tracking for qualifying a peak as atrue peak or not by testing how close the positions of nearby crosscorrelation peaks are.

FIG. 34 is a flow diagram of another inventive process (Mechanism 7) fortracking performance for qualifying a peak as a true peak or not bytesting for substantial difference by subtracting an estimated crosscorrelation value from FIG. 20 (or 26) from a ratio of observedlow-power peak amplitude relative to a high power signal.

FIG. 35 is a flow diagram of an inventive composite process forcombining in series various inventive processes (Mechanisms) depicted inthe other Figures herein.

FIG. 36 is a block diagram of an inventive system including a satellitepositioning engine such as a GPS AD receiver with inventive hardware ofFIG. 20 operating for power managed cross correlation mitigationaccording to any of the inventive processes herein and further coupledwith a processor integrated circuit for cellular communications and fortimekeeping when the GPS receiver is asleep.

FIG. 37 is a chip layout for inventive integrated circuit chips withdifferent functional blocks of an inventive receiver manufactured on anASIC chip and coupled to a host processor chip having AD functionalitywith inventive hardware of FIG. 20.

FIG. 38 is a block diagram for a front end and power managementcircuitry for the inventive receiver structures and processes detailedin the Figures herein.

FIG. 39 is a block diagram of circuit blocks of a cellular telephonehandset for GPS or assisted GPS for use with the positioning receiver ofFIGS. 2, 5, 36 and the other Figures herein.

Corresponding numerals in different Figures indicate corresponding partsexcept where the context indicates otherwise. A minor variation incapitalization or punctuation for the same thing does not necessarilyindicate a different thing. A suffix .i or .j refers to any of severalnumerically suffixed elements having the same prefix.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1 a user has a mobile device supported by a positioning systemwith satellite vehicles (SVs). The mobile device includes a receiver 100as in FIG. 2 that searches for and tracks the satellites, recovers thetransmitted information from each of them, and solves navigationequations as discussed later hereinbelow to yield the position X_(R) ofthe receiver for user applications involving position, velocity and/oracceleration relative to the ground or water or at some elevation.

In FIG. 2 and the other Figures herein, special accumulate-and-dump (AD)receiver circuits, systems and processes of operation and manufactureare disclosed. AD receivers accumulate an incoming signal in order toboost the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal. Accumulate-and-dumprefers to either or both coherent and noncoherent accumulation andtransfer of the results in either case to a following stage or to amemory. The AD receiver is suitably used for GPS and modernized GPSreception, and code-division multiple-access (CDMA) cellularcommunications and other systems.

In FIG. 2, the receiver converts the incoming signal to a digitalbaseband signal using a radio-frequency (RF) front end 110 coupled toone or more antennas 105. RF front end 110 delivers a baseband signal indigital form to a block 120 having a baseband signal processor BSP andcorrelators. Block 120 delivers a received signal r_(i) to anaccumulate-and-dump AD section 130 followed by a block for finalprocessing 140 including a microprocessor MPU with software SW.

One category of embodiments involves GPS receivers and other GNSSreceivers. GPS satellites transmit time of transmission, satellite clockcorrection parameters and ephemeris data. The spread spectrumtransmissions of GPS have either of two microwave carrier frequencies(above 1 GHz). The modulation involves two pseudorandom noise PN codetypes—a high-rate Precision P code and a lower rate one-millisecondperiod C/A (Coarse/Acquisition) code. C/A is discussed here withoutlimitation. Each PN code type has various possible orthogonal sequences,and a particular unique PN sequence is assigned to each satellite SV.

In FIGS. 1, 2, 3B, 5, and 7, receiver 100 finds satellites by locallygenerating different PN sequences and electronically correlating orsynchronizing them with each unique PN sequence assigned to receptionsfrom available satellites. In the receiver processing, Doppler frequencyremoval (wipe-off) is performed for each satellite ahead of thecorrelating, so that correlation produces narrower single peaks withhigher strengths. The receiver monitors for high correlations toindividually receive (and distinguish) satellite signals of differentsatellites from each other. The information data modulated on a givenreceived satellite signal then is demodulated to obtain the information,including the time of transmission, satellite clock correctionparameters and ephemeris data.

In FIGS. 3A and 3C, this information comes modulated on the unique PNsequence from the satellite as binary phase shift keyed BPSK (+1/−1)data bits that are repeated each millisecond for signal-enhancingaccumulation in block 130 of the AD receiver 100. Repetition of a symbolA twenty (20) times over 20 milliseconds is followed by a similarrepetition of another symbol B, etc. In FIG. 3A, two satellites SV1 andSV2 have independently or randomly displaced inter-symbol bit edges.

The receiver 100 tracks four or more satellites (FIG. 1), recovers thetransmitted information from each of them, and operates a microprocessoror other solution block to act as a Position Engine to solve navigationequations to yield the position X_(R) of the receiver in FIG. 1 for userapplications involving position on and above the surface of the earth. Asimple example of navigation equations in three position coordinates xindexed i=1, 2, 3 that are simultaneously solved based on signals fromsatellites SV_(j) (j=1, 2, 3, 4, . . . ) is given in rectangularcoordinates by

$\begin{matrix}{{\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{3}\left( {x_{ij} - x_{iR}} \right)^{2}} = {c_{L}^{2}\left( {\left( {t_{Rj} + e} \right) - t_{j}} \right)}^{2}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

In words, the equation says that the square of the distance from thesatellite to the receiver is equal to the square of the product of thespeed of light times the propagation time to traverse the distance.Parameters x_(ij) represent each (known) coordinate position i ofsatellite j communicated by the ephemeris data. Variables x_(iR)represent each (unknown) coordinate position i of the receiver itself.Time t_(j) is the time of transmission from satellite j received withthe data signal and corresponding to receiver R local time t_(Rj). Thereceiver local time has a bias error e relative to the atomic time baseof the GPS system, so the GPS time at the receiver is t_(Rj)+e. Speed oflight c_(L) times the GPS time difference between transmission andreception is expressed by c_(L)((t_(Rj)+e)−t_(j)) and equals thedistance to the satellite j. Given enough information such as from fouror more satellites, the navigation equations are solved for positioncoordinate unknowns x_(iR) and unknown bias error e. In sphericalcoordinates, the three parameters x_(ij) and the three variables x_(iR)in the navigation equations are each replaced by a trio of expressions rcos θ cos φ, r cos θ sin φ, r sin θ appropriately subscripted and with asummation over the three coordinates explicitly written out.

In FIG. 4, the known carrier frequency from each satellite SV1, SV2, etcis, in general, Doppler shifted by a different amount f1, f2, etc. Themicroprocessor solves Doppler on a equations to determine the velocityV_(R) of the receiver in FIG. 1 for user applications that involvevelocity. More specifically, the receiver 100 has a local velocityvector v relative to the local surface of the Earth at that geographicposition that subjects the signals received by receiver 100 to a degreeof Doppler shift in frequency that goes beyond that Doppler shift of thesignals from the moving satellites relative to a seemingly-stationaryreceiver at the same place on the rotating planet Earth. Some receiversalso determine the acceleration a for the receiver. Some receivers havemultiple antennas and multiple circuits that additionally determinephysical orientation or attitude in terms of roll, pitch, and yaw.

FIG. 4 shows a hypothetical spectrum of signal level versus Dopplershift for two satellites SV1 having a lower power signal, and SV2 havinga high power signal. In FIG. 4, the Doppler shift f_(i) for a given GPSSVi is the difference between the 1.575 GHz GPS frequency (zero “0” inFIG. 4) nominally shared by all SVs and the actual carrier frequency ofa particular SV carrier due to Doppler shift away from 1.575 GHz.Doppler shift is also caused by receiver clock offset. The signalnull-to-null bandwidth is around 2 MHz whereas the Doppler difference ismaximum of the order of 10 KHz. So the spectrum for SV1 and the spectrumfor SV2 will overlap to a great extent in general whereas FIG. 4 showsthem as non-overlapping merely for illustration.

FIG. 5 is read together with FIG. 38. In FIG. 38, digital front end 2230has a baseband converter 2335 (335) that feeds a Measurement Engine2260. FIG. 5 details the Measurement Engine 2260 which includes a Searchsection for performing intensive calculations to identify a new SV, anda Tracking section for performing calculations to keep track of severalalready-identified SVs. Cross correlation mitigation hardware 400supports both the Search and Tracking functions.

In FIG. 5, converter 335 feeds tapped delay lines 305 that go to a fastcorrelation engine 310 having a set of parallel Correlators(multiply-add channel filters) 310.

In FIGS. 2, 5, 6 and 7, the correlators in block 310 (120) each operateover a 1 ms characteristic PN sequence of a satellite such as SV1 or SV2and multiply-add by a locally selected and generated PN sequence fromthe receiver's stored set of satellite-specific unique PN sequences todespread a spread-spectrum satellite signal. An hypothesis search engineblock 220 (FIG. 7) repeatedly issues a different code lag value c andDoppler f to a PN code-issuing block 210 so that the receiver performscorrelation at all the lags and accumulates the correlation outputs overmultiple milliseconds to detect the signal. In this way, a generated PNsequence is found that is properly time-shifted by a respective code lagc₁ or c₂ relative to the receiver time-base to synchronize with andproduce a peak with the characteristic PN sequence received from thecorresponding satellite SV1 or SV2. Doppler frequency removal or“wipe-off” for the SV1 to be identified is provided in any appropriateway by block 210 in FIG. 7. One way pre-multiplies the collection r(t)of received signals (and noise) for the various SVs by the Doppler f1function exp(j2π(−f1)t) and delivers for correlation with a Gold code P1for SV1. Another alternative and equivalent way impresses Doppler bypre-multiplication by exp(j2π(f1)t) with the Gold code P1 for SV1 anddelivers for correlation with the collection r(t) of received signals(and noise) for the various SVs.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the Search section repeatedly operates numerouscorrelators 310 and Channel Processors 320 with parallelism wherepossible to hypothesis-it search for a given satellite such as SV1. Acorresponding number of Channel Processors 320 are provided to processthe output of the correlators 310, and identify a peak for a givensatellite when a locally generated PN sequence is successfullyde-spreaded by a correlator, and obtain GPS information from acquiredsatellites.

In FIG. 6, an hypothesis search space suitably has two dimensions forDoppler and code lag (code phase) for use by the receiver structures andprocesses in FIGS. 5 and 7. The hypothesis search can be exhaustive ofall possible Doppler shift f1 and code lag c, or can be suitably reducedto save time and energy using ephemeris data and/or assisted GPS datafrom a communications network. The search provides, e.g., numerouscorrelations each based on a respective given (hypothesized) pair ofvalues of possible Doppler shift f1 and code lag c according to thesummation (2):

$\begin{matrix}{\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}{P\; 1\left( {n + c} \right)*{\exp\left( {{{j2\pi}\left( {f\; 1} \right)}t} \right)}*{r(t)}}} & (2)\end{matrix}$

If SV1 is visible (receivable), r(t) includes a Doppler-shifted Goldcode P1(n+c₁)*exp(−j2π(f1)t). Correlation performs a sum of productswhich cancels or wipes off the Doppler and finds the code lag c₁ of thereceived Gold code from SV1 for which the correlation is greatest, i.e.,at the correlation peak for SV1 as represented by summation (3) whenhypothesized code lag c equals the actual code lag c₁ for SV1.

$\begin{matrix}{\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}{P\; 1\left( {n + c_{1}} \right)*P\; 1\left( {n + c} \right)}} & (3)\end{matrix}$

In FIG. 8, peaks for a high-powered signal SV2 and a low powered signalSV1 are received, but they are undesirably accompanied by some invalidcross correlation peaks that result from correlation in the receiver 100of FIGS. 2, 5, and 7. A narrow triangular correlation peak at code lagc₂ (or a time t2) represents a receiver Rx 100 and signal correlationwith the pseudonoise (PN) code carried -a by or found in the high powersignal from satellite vehicle SV2. SV2 sends its satellite ID to thereceiver, and the receiver 100 has pre-programmed informationidentifying the Gold code specific to that satellite ID. The receiver100 thus performs a signal correlation in its correlator 120 fed fromblock 210 (FIG. 7) with an internally generated Gold code thusidentified. The correlator 120 is also fed with the SV2 received PN codefrom front end 110. The code lag c_(j) indicates the difference inreceiver time between the time t_(Rj) when the PN code was issued byblock 210 and the satellite SVj time t_(j) when the same PN code wasissued, as expressed in Equations (4A) and (4B):c _(j) =t _(Rj) −t _(j)  (4A)c _(j) +e=(t _(Rj) +e)−t _(j)  (4B)

The time t position of the correlation peak is determined by thecorrelator 120 and provides vital positioning information because thebeginning of each 1 ms PN sequence is locked in the satellite to thesatellite time base that keeps time t_(j) and in the receiver to thereceiver timebase that keeps time t_(R). Consequently, the code lagposition of the autocorrelation peak at the receiver, which is thedesired valid received peak for satellite SVj, is the position that isuseful to establish true time t_(Rj)+e in the navigation equations (1).The beginning of each 1 ms PN local sequence (the receiver-provided PNsequence or Gold code) is locked to the receiver timebase, orsearch-shifted in the hypothesis search a known amount c relative to thereceiver time base. The code lag value c_(j) measured by the correlatoramounts to the true time lag that the satellite signal takes to get tothe receiver minus the bias e of the time base of the receiver 100relative to the atomic time base of the system of satellites. Even if asatellite time value is only subsequently decoded from the data sent bythe satellite after the valid received peak for that satellite isdetected herein, the receiver time base can very accurately measure anytime interval value needed to backtrack that satellite time value to, orotherwise provide, a value t_(j) representing the same instant signifiedby a receiver time value t_(Rj) for that instant. Then, using thepositions of several autocorrelation peaks, such as from four or moresatellites, the Position Engine 2270 not only obtains the receiverposition (x_(1R), x_(2R), x_(3R)) but also the bias error e by solvingthe navigation equations (1). It should be understood that the abovediscussion relates to one example of many possible alternative GNSSapproaches useful in various embodiments herein and helps point out thatcode lag is intimately related with time, signal propagation delay, andbias error.

In FIG. 8, several narrow triangular correlation peaks at times t1, t3,t4, t5 and t7 (code lags c1, c3, c4, c5, c7) result from the receiversignal correlation with the pseudonoise (PN) code in a lower poweredsignal from satellite vehicle SV1. One higher intensity peak at t1 is avalid peak for actual satellite SV1, and the lower intensity peaks att7, t3, t4, t5 represent cross correlation peaks due to crosscorrelation by the Gold code identified and generated for detecting SV1by the receiver and cross correlated with the Gold code arriving byreception of the high power signal from SV2. The peak at t5 is widerbecause the adjacent cross correlation coefficients are large andsimilar in magnitude.

When a substantial correlation (a peak) is detected in the Searchsection of FIG. 5, then such peak may represent useful information fromthe actual SV1. Unfortunately, with a low power signal received from anew satellite SV1 for which the code lag c₁ is to be measured, confusioncan arise because of cross correlation of the Gold code P1 fed to thecorrelator to search for SV1 with the Gold code P2 arriving on the highpower signal from SV2. Furthermore, the Doppler wipe-off for SV1 to bedetected leaves, in general, a relative Doppler function with a Dopplerdifference frequency f2−f1 impressed on the SV2 Gold codecross-correlation. In other words, spurious peaks due to crosscorrelation with one or more high power signals from satellites such asSV2 can exist. Embodiments including cross-correlation mitigationhardware Xcorr 400 to estimate and help mitigate this cross correlationin the Search section are described herein.

In FIG. 5, de-spreaded modulation is coherently accumulated and dumpedto memory 325 to increase the signal to noise ratio, see also FIG. 25. Ablock of memory 325 in FIG. 5 provides a number of memory sections foreach of the Channel Processors 320 and for noncoherent summationresults. In this way, the cumulated information from coherent andnoncoherent summation is recorded and maintained. A hardware counterblock 350 counts chips and/or cycles and together with blocks 375 and380 keeps time t_(R) for receiver 100. (“Chips” depending on the contextmeans or is related to PN spreading sequence bits as in FIG. 3B, or toamount of code lag in FIG. 10. The meaning is thus distinct from that ofchip as an integrated circuit chip such as in FIGS. 36-39.) Also,counter block 350 includes counters and registers and associatedcircuitry for configuring and establishing power management duty cyclesas described in the incorporated patent application TI-65435.

Further in FIG. 5, the baseband converter 335 in digital front end 2230of FIG. 38 provides an output to a Tracking section that has a set ofTracking DLL channels 330 that in turn supply output to a DLLpostprocessor 340. These channels are delay lock loop SV peak trackingchannels to accommodate an at-least-adequate number of satellites forthe receiving purposes. The Tracking section handles SV signals thathave been successfully searched by the Search section. The Trackingsection can also have its own correlators in Tracking DLL channels 330that are optimized to deliver a smaller number of hypothesized pairs ofvalues of possible Doppler shift f1 and code lag c₁ to apply to thecorrelators in the Tracking section according to the summation Equation(1). The DLLs compute or keep track of peaks to track the time delay orcode lag c₂ of the PN sequence for each given already-acquired low powerSV1 signal and high power SV2 signal and in the process can trackDoppler for each such SV. Frequency lock loop(s) (FLL) are also suitablyprovided to get a more accurate estimate of the Doppler frequency bylocking onto each available Doppler shifted satellite carrier signal anddetermining Doppler shift D and time-differenced Doppler ΔD (delta-D)for each satellite that is acquired.

In FIG. 5, the Tracking section is also subject to cross-correlationpeaks between SV1 and SV2 being confused with actual lower power SV1 tobe tracked. When a substantial correlation (a peak) is detected in theTracking section, then this peak may represent useful information fromthe actual SV1. Unfortunately, with a low power signal received from asatellite SV1 for which the code lag c₁ is to be measured, confusion canarise because of cross correlation of the Gold code P1 fed to thecorrelator to search for SV1 with the Gold code P2 arriving on the highpower signal from SV2. The tracking DLL might undesirably lock onto thecross correlation peak or lobe. Embodiments such as cross-correlationmitigation hardware Xcorr 400 to mitigate this cross correlation in theTracking section as well are discussed elsewhere herein. Notice thatcross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 can have a single blockor separate blocks to support the Search section and Tracking sectionrespectively, and any block can have parallel subblocks to supportconcurrent calls for electronic computation or a series of calls thatare so close in time to one another as to justify the parallel subblocksto support the computations involved. In tracking, scenario changes withtime. That is Doppler difference, code lag difference and SV receivepowers change with time. Hence SV1 may not be affected by crosscorrelation at one point in time and is affected later on.

In a system aspect of FIG. 5, a system bus 360 couples the block 120 forSearch/Tracking to a microprocessor MPU 370 and its associated memoryRAM and ROM. The system also has a clock calibration block 375 includinga reference time counter and a GPS clock counter; and a time maintenanceblock 380, and a real-time clock counter 385. Communications peripherals390 include first and second UARTs (parallel to serial interfaces alsoknown as universal asynchronous receiver transmitter), a serial I2Cinterface and a sensor interface using serial I2C. The sensor interfacesuitably includes tilt sensors and/or accelerometer sensors forproviding data by which MPU 370 computes or augments GPS phase-trackingestimation of user kinematics. A PPS pulse-per-second generator 395 isfurther connected via system bus 360 with MPU 370 and establishesprecise one-second intervals.

In FIGS. 2, 5, 11 and 20, the receiver 100 has front end 110 thatreceives signals of different signal strengths and the signals aremodulated with respective pseudorandom noise (PN) codes. Front end 110and a correlator circuit 120 are operated to receive any suitablesignals such as satellite positioning system signals, pseudolite and/orsatellite positioning system signals, code division multiple access CDMAsignals, and spread spectrum signals. The correlator circuit 120 iscoupled to front end 110 and correlates the received signals with aselectable locally-issued PN code to produce a valid received peak, suchas a higher power peak for SV2. However, the correlator circuit 120 issubject to cross correlation that produces cross correlation peaks whenit correlates the received signals with another selectablelocally-issued PN code for SV1. A cross correlation circuit such as thecombination of microprocessor 370 and cross-correlation mitigationhardware Xcorr 400 operates to generate a variable comparison value orthreshold Th related to the cross correlation Xcorr_coeff as a functionof both a relative Doppler shift f1−f2 and a relative code lag c1−c2.The cross correlation circuit uses the variable comparison value Th toreject one or more cross correlation peaks and pass a valid receivedpeak.

In some embodiments, programmable microprocessor 370 is coupled toconfigure cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400.Microprocessor 370 acts as an example of a supervising processor, acontroller, a control circuit or the like in its communications with andutilization of the Search and Tracking correlator channels and DLLs inFIG. 5 and the cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 in FIGS.5, 11, and 20. Various embodiments can have a programmablemicroprocessor and/or control hardware in various forms to accomplishthe operations described herein. Cross-correlation mitigation hardwareXcorr 400 generates a cross correlation value Xcorr_coeff when called bymicroprocessor 370. Microprocessor 370 then generates the variablecomparison value based on the cross correlation value from hardware 400.Correlator 120 has multiple channels and the cross correlation circuitincludes a controller for the correlator circuit. The controller rejectsand passes peaks for applicable channels based on generating thevariable comparison values. Microprocessor 370 in some embodiments isused to do controller functions, and in other embodiments a separatecontroller is provided.

The partitioning or implementation of the blocks is establisheddifferent ways in various embodiments. In some of them, the correlator120 is controllable and operates to find a high-power peak and its codelag and Doppler using one locally-issued PN code and to seek a givenlower power peak using another locally-issued PN code with associatedcode lag and associated Doppler. Correlator 120 in some embodimentsinterrogates the cross correlation circuit with a relative Dopplerrepresenting the difference of the Doppler of the high-power peak andthe associated Doppler and with a relative code lag representing thedifference of the code lag of the high-power peak and the associatedcode lag. In response to the cross correlation circuit based on thevariable comparison value, the correlator 120 either passes the givenlower power peak or rejects the given lower power peak and seeks anotherlower power peak.

Signal strength is considered in more detail by further reference toFIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C. GPS satellites transmit CDMA signals each with adifferent and intended PN pseudo-noise sequence having a 1 ms repetitionperiod, and with data modulated on top of the PN sequence at a rate of50 Hz. Each data bit is transmitted 20 times in 20 ms. For example, inFIG. 3A and FIG. 3C, a data bit A is modulated on a 1 ms PN signalrepeated 20 times, followed by a data bit B similarly repeated.Unintended noise (not shown, like wireless noise arriving in thepropagation path, spread spectrum crosstalk, and receiver thermal noise)is impressed upon the signal in FIGS. 3B and 3C. This unintended noiseis what is referred to as the “noise” in the metric of signal to noiseratio SNR.

The SNR is boosted by 13 dB (decibels) by adding the 20 repetitions ofthe signal coherently. 10 log₁₀(20)=13 dB, as discussed in theincorporated application TI-65435. Coherent accumulation adds the signalarithmetically with number of repetitions while noise, beingstatistical, accumulates in rms (root-mean-square) value more slowly asthe square root of the number of repetitions so that SNR is boosted.

If the correlators 120 associated with Measurement Engine 2260 arearranged to deliver their output at a rate of 1 Hz in FIGS. 5 and 25,the SNR can be boosted by an additional 15 dB by non-coherently addingor accumulating the repetitions of the GPS signal within a dwell time,such as a one second interval, as shown in FIG. 25. The total SNR boostmay be 28 dB (13 dB coherent+15 dB noncoherent) A receiver thatcoherently adds 20 repetitions of the signal, and then non-coherentlyadds or accumulates 50 signal repetitions represented in the 50 coherentsummations (20 each), is denoted as a (20, 50) receiver. The dB numberfor non-coherent accumulation is an example scenario. Sensitivity gainbecause of non-coherent accumulation depends on squaring loss which inturn depends on original coherent SNR. Various types of receiver usesseveral different combinations of coherent and non coherent integration.(20,50) is one example. Coherent and noncoherent summations are alsodiscussed in further detail in the incorporated patent applicationTI-65435 in connection with numerous power saving modes.

The +/−1 data from a coherent summation x is demodulated by a thresholdfunction such as SIGN(x). Note that an estimate of the data is extractedfrom the coherent accumulation of the received signal, during all orsome subset of the repetitions of the same data symbol on receivedsignal r_(i). The bit error rate for this data demodulation is discussedin connection with FIG. 8A of the incorporated patent applicationTI-65435.

If the receiver is switched off, such as for power management and powersavings, the receiver 100 accounts for the time it was switched off inorder to track the signal dynamics, as discussed in the incorporatedpatent applications TI-65435 and TI-38194. Improved cross correlationmitigation processes, circuits and systems are provided herein and arecompatible and combinable with power management as improved herein toaddress the stringent power and battery life demands of mobile devicesand similar considerations and constraints in other portable and fixedapplications.

Some embodiments called Mechanisms are described herein to solve crosscorrelation problems and other problems. The Mechanisms are provided formitigation, detection, discrimination, identification or rejection ofcross correlation in GPS receivers during acquisition and tracking withthe aid of qualitatively improved hardware and/or software. TheseMechanisms facilitate detection by searching, and acquisition andidentification and tracking of more satellites more of the time whensuch satellites provide lower power satellite signals that hitherto hadbeen more difficult to identify as valid or not. The positioningreceiver 100 searches for signal from Satellite Vehicle SV1 and finds alower power correlation peak at code phase c1 and Doppler f1, and thereceiver has already detected a higher power peak from another SatelliteVehicle SV2 at code phase c2 and Doppler f2. Code phase or code lag isthe difference in time between the beginning of the 1 ms PN receiverissued Gold code for the SV and the beginning of thesatellite-originated Gold code riding on that SV carrier. Relative codephase φ is the difference between the code phases for a pair of SVs suchas SV2 and SV1 so that φ=c2−c1. Numerically, for instance, if the codephase c₁ for SV1 is 100 chips and the code phase c₂ for SV2 is 7 chips,then the relative code phase φ is −93 chips. In general, code phase is afractional number obtained after interpolation. For example, it can be100.22 chips, 7.89 and −92.33 chips in the example.

The problem of cross correlation is now discussed further and remarkablesolutions or embodiments are further described in detail. The PN-codesused by GPS satellites do not offer sufficient protection against crosscorrelation. In GPS, for example, the worst-case cross correlationcoefficient turns out to be 21 dB, as discussed elsewhere herein.Unfortunately, that worst-case cross correlation coefficient is smallerin magnitude than the dynamic range of receive satellite powers in GPS,which is as high as 38 dB (i.e., the difference between −125 dBm and−163 dBm). In other words, an undesirable cross correlation peakgenerated by the receiver itself due to cross correlation between higherand lower power satellite signals can be sufficiently strong to liewithin that dynamic range. The presence of a higher powered signal froma satellite SV2 can cause detection of a false peak that is not thelower power signal from another SV1 because of a large cross correlationcoefficient. This problem happens only when the high-powered SV Doppleris close to an integer KHz-multiple (0, +/−1, +/−2, . . . ) away fromthe Doppler at which the low power SV is searched. The problem isinherent because of the underlying periodicity of PN code, which has aone millisecond (1 ms) period in GPS. False detection of a satellite SV1can lead to huge position errors in an unimproved satellite receiver.Various embodiments disclosed here provide significantly improved crosscorrelation mitigation and/or qualitatively improved discrimination thaton the one hand identifies and passes true lower power peaks and on theother hand rejects false cross correlation peaks and lower power peakscorrupted by sufficient cross correlation.

One type of embodiment (Mechanism 1) searches for or tracks a low powerpeak and during such searching or tracking electronically computes anestimated cross correlation coefficient that could arise in the receiverdue to interference with an already-acquired higher power peak. The lowpower peak might be from a real satellite vehicle SV1 or might merely bea cross correlation peak that is invalid for position determinationpurposes. The embodiment electronically compares each actual low powerpeak with the estimated cross correlation coefficient, or with athreshold value computed as a function of such coefficient. If theactual low power peak is the larger amount in comparison, then thatactual low power peak is identified as a valid peak from a satellitesuch as SV1. The estimated cross correlation coefficient or thresholdbased thereon is a dynamic, less pessimistic measure than a staticthreshold parameter would be. The electronic comparison ensures that thelow power peak is from a real satellite vehicle SV1 from whichpositioning measurements derived from the lower power peak by thereceiver would be valid and not merely an undesirable artifact of crosscorrelation in the receiver.

In FIGS. 11, 16 and 20, among other Figures, structure and processembodiments for implementing Mechanism 1 herein compute the crosscorrelation coefficient between the two PN codes of SV1 and SV2 at therelative carrier Doppler f1−f2 and at the relative peak location c₁−c₂between the low-power peak and the high power peak. Mechanism 1 usesthis computed cross correlation coefficient to qualify and determinewhether a low-power peak thus electronically analyzed is a crosscorrelation peak or not. Instead of a fixed threshold (18 dB), Mechanism1 uses a dynamic threshold based on the actual cross correlationcoefficient of the two SVs and indeed does the cross correlation checkagainst all high powered SV's detected, as described further herein. Inthis way, various Mechanism 1 embodiments provide and confer asignificant improvement over a conservative approach that simply assumesa worst-case cross correlation coefficient. This Mechanism 1 type ofsolution provides embodiments to compute cross-correlation coefficientbetween two PN codes at specific relative code lag and relative relevantDoppler. An efficient implementation is suitably established inhardware; however, a mixed firmware or software embodiment is alsofeasible. Also, mixed embodiments of processor software andco-processing hardware combinations are contemplated as in FIG. 11.

Another type of embodiment (designated Mechanism 2 Way 2) monitors foran event of a cross correlation peak smearing the low power peak (FIG.24, 26, 28A, 29A. The magnitude of such smearing is suitably alsoelectronically computed or estimated beforehand for detection purposesand, if the cross correlation is excessive, the measurements orinformation in the lower power peak are rejected. Mechanism 2 recognizesthat a cross-correlation peak can smear or substantially widen the lowerpower peak, corrupting the information in the lower power peak andrendering the measurements it represents useless. The magnitude of thecross correlation is a dynamic, less pessimistic measure of the amountof the undesirable smearing. Suppose a low power correlation peak isfound at code phase c1 for Satellite SV1, Doppler f1, and the receiveralready detected a high power peak from another SV2 at code phase c2,Doppler f2. Such a Mechanism herein computes an estimated crosscorrelation coefficient at code phase difference c1−c2 at Dopplerdifference f1−f2 using a dedicated hardware unit and then compares theestimated cross correlation coefficient with the actual low power peakto judge whether the low power peak is a cross correlation peak or not.Also, during tracking of the low power peak the cross correlationcoefficient is also computed in some embodiments to ensure that themeasurements are valid. In the event of a cross correlation peaksmearing the low power peak, this can be calculated beforehand and themeasurements rejected.

The positioning receiver according to embodiments as described herein ismade more efficient or effective and qualitatively more accurate indistinguishing cross correlation peaks from valid low power peaks. Suchreceiver embodiments are less undesirably conservative than existingsolutions without sacrificing the ability to identify and reject lowerpower peaks that are undesirable cross correlation peaks and pass,identify or select valid uncorrupted lower power peaks. Implementing anyone or more of the receiver embodiments or Mechanisms advantageouslyhelps the positioning receiver to avoid rejecting valid low powersignals from satellites and hence improves position accuracy in tough,difficult and challenging dynamic range scenarios faced by a GPSreceiver.

Another type of structure and process embodiments or solutions aredesignated Mechanism 3 (FIG. 23). Mechanism 3 uses the fact that for azero Doppler difference, the location of a cross correlation peakobtained from a high-powered SV2 is located integer chips away from theactual correlation peak of the high-powered SV2. “Integer chips away”means that the code phase φ at which the cross correlation is maximum isan integer number of chips or chip periods 1 sec/(1.023e6), or quiteclose to an integer chip away. The reason that the cross correlationpeak is located integer chips away is because if that peak were notinteger chips away, the cross correlation would be less than the peakvalue where many chips match each other and at which the maximum crosscorrelation occurs. Also, because of the orthogonality of PN codes, thecross correlation is zero when the code phase φ is zero, i.e., when thePN codes are zero chips away from each other. Such integer location alsohappens because the cross correlation peak is obtained inherently fromthe same received pulse shape as the high-power signal. For example, GPSuses close to a rectangular pulse shape. Mechanism 3 accepts a low powerSV1 measurement as valid if it is not close to an integer chip away froma high power SV2 measurement. A similar phenomenon happens for non-zeroDoppler difference as well and is also detectable by Mechanism 3embodiments (FIG. 23).

Various ones of these embodiments, and other embodiments herein,advantageously improve continuous tracking of low power SVs like SV1 inthe presence of high power SVs like SV2. In difficult urban canyonconditions, it is important to track any or all low-power visible SVsfrom which useful measurement information can be acquired in thepresence of any one or a few high-power signals from SVs that may bepresent and from which measurement information is also acquired.Providing valid measurement information from as many SVs as possible isdesirable to improve the accuracy of physical position determination.

With very low computational complexity, various embodimentsadvantageously compute these cross correlation coefficients for improveddetection of low-power peaks. The computation is readily performed atvery low rates (on the order of one second) corresponding to theone-second rate in GPS. Moreover, computing the cross correlationcoefficients in hardware is easy, and the hardware module complexity islow. Indeed, the real estate area for such a hardware module can be onthe order of 15 K gates or less.

Such Mechanisms can significantly improve cross correlation rejectioncapabilities and thereby enable the GPS receiver to have betterperformance in tough scenarios, like urban canyon where dynamic range ishigh and the visibility of number of satellites is low. Such Mechanismsalso enable the GPS receiver to have better performance thanconservative cross correlation approaches would have in standardscompliance tests, such as in the 3GPP Dynamic Range Test as describedlater hereinbelow and also other lab tests that test dynamic rangecapability. Cross-correlation mitigation techniques that can do well onsuch tests are important care-abouts to system manufacturers. Ultimateusers can benefit from these Mechanism embodiments because suchembodiments can improve the user experience and more reliably providethem with vital positioning information.

Some embodiments involve a receiver integrated circuit chip and/orsystem to improve the performance of GPS reception. Such embodiments candesirably also avoid false locks on the cross correlation peaks fromstronger existing satellites SV2 when a positioning receiver issubsequently looking in the Search process or Tracking process foradditional satellites SV1 that have lower power signals. Moreover, suchembodiments can alternatively or additionally avoid false locks on thecross correlation peaks from a subsequently-acquired stronger existingsatellite SV2 when a positioning receiver is currently tracking in theTracking process already-acquired satellites like SV1 that have lowerpower signals. As noted hereinabove, current approaches and algorithmsare too pessimistic. Hence, one type of embodiment provides an adaptiveprocess or hardware that computes cross correlation estimates for theexisting satellites and uses those cross correlation estimates to changethe threshold under which the additional or new satellites are acceptedor rejected. In FIGS. 11 and 12, the cross-correlation coefficients areeither calculated by software itself or preferably through a dedicatedhardware module.

Each satellite SVx has its unique PN code, and the receiver ispreprogrammed with information identifying the PN code that eachsatellite SVx transmits. PN codes are derived from Gold Codes to havebetter cross correlation properties. A total of around 32 satellites areused in GPS. The satellites transmit a sequence of bits that is repeatedevery 20 ms, but by negating the PN-code as in FIG. 3C, similar to CDMA(Code Division Multiple Access). The receiver searches for presence ofthese PN codes through correlation as in FIGS. 6 and 7. The code phaselocation, or φ value, at which a correlation peak is found has theinformation about the transmission delay between satellite and receiver.This information is used for positioning.

In GPS, each satellite (SV) repeatedly transmits lms long, 1023 lengthPN-code at a carrier of 1.57542 Ghz. 1023 long PN-code is a sequence of+1/−1's called chips. Chip Rate is 1.023 Mhz (1023 chips permillisecond). The pulse shape used is close to a rectangular pulse inthe time domain and has a functional shape known as a Sinc shape thatundulates in the frequency domain. Approximately 10 lobes or undulationsof Sinc in the range [−10*1.023 Mhz, 10*1.023 Mhz] are transmitted by anSV.

High frequencies, in the sense of Chip rate and number of lobes, providemore precise or better timing information and thus better positioninginformation. Receivers in general will see a Doppler shift in receivedsatellite signals because of satellite motion, user device motion andReceiver clock offset. Doppler shifts due to satellite motion can be inthe range [−6 KHz, 6 KHz].

Receivers search across Doppler shifts to detect presence of signal andthereby acquire an SV, or might acquire a false peak due to crosscorrelation instead. As pointed out hereinabove, the presence of a highpowered SV2 satellite can cause a false detection of another satelliteSV1 with low power because of large cross correlation coefficients.Among basic properties of GPS PN-codes are that for these PN-codes (Goldcodes) the cross correlation coefficient takes only four values 0, 1, 63or 65 over all the 1023 various possible values φ of code phase. Ittakes only these four values for zero Doppler difference. For non zeroDoppler difference it can take any value in the range 0-90 roughly.Dozens of values φ of code phase may exist among 1023 possible suchvalues for which the cross correlation coefficients are significant inmagnitude.

The correlation of a Gold code with itself is 1023 (i.e.,

$\sum\limits_{i = 0}^{1022}{\left( {1,{- 1}} \right)^{\bigwedge}2}$

regardless of the sequence of +1's and −1's). Accordingly, in decibels,the worst case cross correlation coefficient between GPS SVs with zerorelative Doppler between them is −23.94 db (i.e., 20*log 10(65/1023)).

Since the Doppler shift of each SV is in the range [−6 KHz, 6 KHz], therelative Doppler shift between SVs as a practical matter lies in themagnitude range of [0, 13 KHz] i.e., f1−f2 can have any value in therange [−13 KHz, 13 KHz]. Relative Doppler shifts (also called Dopplerdifference) close to multiples of one Khz present a cross correlationinterference problem. Consider a receiver correlator channel searchingfor satellite SV1 that has PN code P1(n), and SV1 has a Doppler shiftf1; and also a high powered SV2 is present with a Doppler shift f2. Then(with wipeoff for f1) the correlator channel sees a new PN code whichinvolves SV2's distinct PN code P2(n) of Equation (4) rotated by theDoppler difference (f2−f1) as represented by Equation (5). Hence crosscorrelation properties of SV1's PN code of Equation (6) with rotatedSV2's PN code now come into play as in Equation (7).

$\begin{matrix}{\mspace{20mu}{{{SV2\_ PN}{\_ code}} = {\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}\left\lbrack {P\; 2(n)*{{rect}\left\lbrack {\left( {t - {n\; T_{s}}} \right)/T_{s}} \right\rbrack}} \right\rbrack}}} & (4) \\{{{SV2\_ PN}{\_ code}{\_ rot}} = {\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}\left\lbrack {P\; 2(n)*{{rect}\left\lbrack {\left( {t - {n\; T_{s}}} \right)/T_{s}} \right\rbrack}*{\exp\left( {{{j2\pi}\left( {{f\; 2} - {f\; 1}} \right)}t} \right)}} \right\rbrack}} & (5)\end{matrix}$

The Gold code for SV2 is represented by P2(n) and for SV1 by P1(n). Thechip number n lies in the range [0:1022]. The rectangular function rect[] is unity for argument range [0:1] and is zero outside that range[0:1]. The time variable is t. T_(s) represents chipping period which is1e-3/1023 sec in GPS. The product P2(n)*rect[t−nT_(s))/T_(s)] is afunction of time t that represents a one-chip wide nth segment displacedfrom time t=0 by an amount nT_(s), and zero elsewhere. Such nth segmenthas a height +1 or −1 specified by P2(n). The summation

$\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}$effectively assembles all 1023 such segments into a composite functionof time over 1023 chips. The code phase φ of the SV1 PN code is relativeto the SV2 PN code.

$\begin{matrix}{{{SV1\_ PN}{\_ code}} = {\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}\left\lbrack {P\; 1\left( {n + \phi} \right)*{{rect}\left\lbrack {\left( {t - {n\; T_{s}}} \right)/T_{s}} \right\rbrack}} \right\rbrack}} & (6)\end{matrix}$

The cross correlation between SV1 and SV2 at this specific lag φ isexpressed by summation of products:

$\begin{matrix}{\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}\left( {{SV1\_ PN}{\_ code}*{SV2\_ PN}{\_ code}{\_ rot}} \right)} & (7)\end{matrix}$

Substituting into Equation (7) from Equations (6) and (5) yieldsEquation (8)

$\begin{matrix}{\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}\begin{pmatrix}{P\; 1\left( {n + \phi} \right)*{{rect}\left\lbrack {\left( {t - {n\; T_{s}}} \right)/T_{s}} \right\rbrack}*} \\{P\; 2(n)*{{rect}\left\lbrack {\left( {t - {n\; T_{s}}} \right)/T_{s}} \right\rbrack}*{\exp\left( {{{j2\pi}\left( {{f\; 2} - {f\; 1}} \right)}t} \right)}}\end{pmatrix}} & (8)\end{matrix}$

Equation (8) simplifies to Equation (9):

$\begin{matrix}{\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}\left( {P\; 1\left( {n + \phi} \right)*P\; 2(n)*{{rect}\left\lbrack {\left( {t - {n\; T_{s}}} \right)/T_{s}} \right\rbrack}*{\exp\left( {{{j2\pi}\left( {{f\; 2} - {f\; 1}} \right)}t} \right)}} \right)} & (9)\end{matrix}$

Notice in Equation (9) that the expressionP1(n+φ)*P2(n)*rect[(t−nT_(s))/T_(s)] as summed represents the crosscorrelation between the Gold codes for SV1 and SV2, at zero relativeDoppler, with code phase between those codes included. The entiresummation of Equation (9), however, is somewhat complicated by therelative Doppler function exp(j2π(f2−f1)t) if relative Doppler (f2−f1)is non-zero. Some of the embodiments use hardware block 400 toelectronically swiftly return a signal representing a value equal to themagnitude of this complex summation or otherwise instantiate acomputation using this complex summation directly or as a loop kernel.

Notice that no phase is shown riding on the exp( ) function in Equations(5), (8) and (9). If a phase is included with the Doppler differencefunction, it merely amounts to a complex constant factor with unitymagnitude. The threshold calculation of magnitude is thereforeunaffected for cross correlation mitigation as described herein, and sosuch a phase is ignored.

Coherently integrated cross correlation between SV1 and SV2 is expressedby summing over the 20 repeated 1 ms GPS intervals:

$\begin{matrix}{\sum\limits_{k = {1\mspace{14mu}{ms}}}^{20\mspace{14mu}{ms}}{\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}\left( {{SV1\_ PN}{\_ code}*{SV2\_ PN}{\_ code}{\_ rot}} \right)}} & (10)\end{matrix}$

Substituting into Equation (10) from Equations (6) and (5) yieldscoherently integrated Equation (11):

$\begin{matrix}{\sum\limits_{k = {1\mspace{14mu}{ms}}}^{20\mspace{14mu}{ms}}{\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{1022}\left( {P\; 1\left( {n + \phi} \right)*P\; 2(n)*{{rect}\left\lbrack {\left( {t - {n\; T_{s}}} \right)/T_{s}} \right\rbrack}*{\exp\left( {{{j2\pi}\left( {{f\; 2} - {f\; 1}} \right)}t} \right)}} \right)}} & (11)\end{matrix}$

Cross correlation properties include properties relating to the 0, +/−1Khz, or multiple of +/−1 Khz, relative Doppler. The positioning receiver100 employs one or more correlators as in FIG. 5 that perform coherentintegration represented by Equation (10) to generate correlations for 20ms. In electronic operations represented by Equation (10), a correlationover 1023 chips in one millisecond is performed and the correlatoroutputs separated by lms are added up to cover the integration period(e.g., 20 ms). If the Doppler difference (f2−f1) is not close to aninteger multiple (0, +/−1, +/−2, . . . ) of 1 Khz, then the twenty lmscross correlation outputs will add up destructively and produce anegligible output. For one simple example, if the Doppler difference is0.5 Khz (2 ms period), then the cross correlation exactly cancels out in2 ms because the Equation (11) exponential function exp( )) in thesecond lms is opposite in sign to the exp( )) function in the first lms,and the coherent integration adds up their opposite signed contributionsto equal zero. If the Doppler difference is an integer (0, +/−1, +/−2, .. . ) multiple of 1 Khz, there is no such cancellation during thecoherent integration, because the exp( ) function in each 1 ms timesegment has the same sign and the coherent integration adds up the lmscontributions constructively. Thus a not-insubstantial cross correlationpeak can occur at certain values of code phase φ. Cross correlation ofPN codes when Doppler difference is any integer multiple of 1 Khzeffectively generates a completely different PN-code. If the receiver asis allowed to respond to the cross correlation peak is if it were avalid SV1 peak, the receiver can produce time of arrival or pseudorangeinformation that is merely an artifact and useless and erroneous forpositioning purposes.

FIG. 9 shows, further as to cross correlation properties, all thepossible cross correlation coefficients—across SVs (i.e., across theirrespective Gold codes), across Doppler differences f2−f1 that areinteger multiples of 1 Khz, and across code-phases φ—calculated fromdata obtained through simulation. Worst case cross correlationcoefficient is −21.08 db (i.e., 20*log 10(90.3/1023)), which isapproximately 3 db worse (stronger) than the worst-case −23.94 db atzero Doppler difference (i.e., 20*log 10(65/1023)). The statistical CDF(Cumulative probability Density Function) of the cross correlationcoefficient as a random variable is shown in FIG. 9 based on cumulationof frequencies of cross correlation coefficient values calculated fromthe simulation. (Note that for zero Doppler difference, a separate CDFline has a step near 24 db corresponding to the cross correlation values63 and 65. That separate CDF line also has another step at about 60 db(not shown) that steps down to zero and corresponds to other possiblecross correlation of value 1.)

FIG. 9 thus shows the CDF (cumulative distribution function) ofamplitude of cross correlation coefficients arising across Dopplershifts, PN codes of SVs (satellite vehicles) and code phases. 90% of thetime the cross correlation coefficient is smaller (weaker) than −27 dbcompared to the worst case of −21 db. But this also means that 10% ofthe instances, the cross correlation is not small: −27 db to −21 db.Given a 38 db dynamic range of the receiver, the 10% result also meansthat artifact peaks due to cross correlation can be a recurring andnot-inconsequential phenomenon.

As noted in the previous paragraph, some cross correlations in FIG. 9 atnon-zero Doppler difference can be stronger than even the worst case atzero Doppler difference. This is because the variations of complexexponential exp( )) at non-zero Doppler difference when multipliedacross the PN code sequences of +1's and −1's can take away somenegative (−1*+1) product contributions to the Equation (11) sum at zeroDoppler difference that would otherwise diminish the net correlation. Todemonstrate an example of this phenomenon of stronger cross correlationat integer non-zero Doppler difference, FIG. 10 is used.

FIG. 10 profiles amplitude versus code phase c₁−c₂ of cross correlationcoefficients, with Doppler difference f1−f2 assumed constant as betweena pair of satellite signals. FIG. 10 shows a Cross correlation profileinvolving the PN code of SV's 10 and 29 (SV pair 10.29) at +3 KhzDoppler difference (relative Doppler) around a sample code phase. They-axis for FIG. 10 is cross correlation value with +1/−1 PN code. Thex-axis represents code phase φ as a Chip Count. The plot of FIG. 10 isin linear scale with a value V of 1023 for perfect maximum correlation.A peak value V of 89 is observed at chip count 19. So the peak value Vof 89 corresponds to a cross correlation peak at 20*log 10(89/1023) downfrom the high power peak. Such peak value V of 89 thereby contributes tothe phenomenon of stronger cross correlation at integer nonzero relativeDoppler than worst case cross correlation value V=65 at zero relativeDoppler.

In FIG. 10, a valid SV1 satellite signal peak (dotted) is superimposedon the profile of cross correlations. (For further discussion of FIG. 10about visualizing motions of the superimposed graphs, see description ofFIG. 24.) The valid SV1 peak is shown at two different example positionsamong the cross correlation values or peaks. Note that at code phase 7the valid SV1 peak quite substantially exceeds the cross correlation andthere is no reason to pessimistically reject the valid SV1 peak. At codephase 19 the same amplitude of the SV1 peak is conversely exceeded bycross correlation. Numerous code phases exist, indeed in many or mostcases in FIG. 10, at which the amplitude of the SV1 peak substantiallyexceeds the cross correlation. Accordingly, embodiments or Mechanismsare described herein for intelligently identifying and recoveringpositioning information from the valid SV1 peak.

GPS receivers are presently expected to operate at power levels in therange of about −125 dBm to about −163 dBm, i.e., a range of 38 db and alot greater or higher than a worst-case cross correlation coefficient of21 db. So a SV at −130 dBm can cause a false detection of a crosscorrelation peak 21 db down as if that peak were from another SV at −151dBm. Low received powers are expected in indoor environments, and incases of signal blockage or attenuation in an urban canyon. Accordingly,there is a need for mechanisms to reject false peaks that arise becauseof cross correlation. Also, there is a need for mechanisms to detect lowpower SVs reliably in the presence of high power SVs and also to trackthe low power and high power SVs.

A conservative Approach 1 to cross correlation mitigation might operateso that if a low power SV signal is detected with the Doppler shift ofits 1.575 GHz carrier at close to a multiple of one kHz (because theperiodicity is 1 ms which corresponds to 1/1 ms=1 kHz) away from thecarrier Doppler of a high power SV, and if the C/N_(o) differencebetween SV1 and SV2 is greater than a static threshold (18 db Hz), thesignal is assumed to be a cross correlation peak and rejected. (Theexpression C/N_(o) signifies the ratio of Carrier signal power C for theSV to Noise Spectral Density N_(o). The Hertz Hz unit representsreciprocal integration period.) Note the use of a single value (18 db Hzdown from SV2) for declaring cross correlation peak in this conservativeApproach 1. That 18 db can throw away more than half the 38 db dynamicrange of the receiver when the Doppler difference is integer kHz.

By using the single value, Approach 1 undesirably rejects genuinemeasurements from low power SVs, as discussed more in connection withFIGS. 13A and 21. For example, in the 3GPP Dynamic Range Test, one highpower SV is at −129 dBm and three (3) smaller power SVs are at −147 dBm,which is near the 18 db below the strong SV discussed for undesirablyconservative Approach 1. Any smaller power SVs can get rejected byApproach 1 and throw a away half the dynamic range of the receiver. Thiscauses a fewer number of SVs measurements to be used in the positioncalculation than are potentially available to be used, thus leading tothe risk of a higher, exacerbated position error in practice. On theother hand, suppose the 18 db Hz based threshold were increased to 22 db(−151 dBm) to accept these smaller power SVs as well as somewhat lowerpower SVs as well. A worst-case cross correlation peak (invalid peak) 21db down from −129 dBm could then undesirably be accepted as valid by theApproach 1 threshold of −129−21=−150 dBm. And, as noted above in the CDFanalysis of FIG. 9, a cross-correlation peak that strong will probablybe encountered sooner or later. A cross correlation peak that strongwill always exist. As the receiver is searching for the low power SV'sacross Doppler and code domain, it will encounter this high crosscorrelation peak soon. Also, over time the Doppler shifts and code phasekeep changing. The Doppler of any of the smaller power SVs can become aninteger multiple (0, +/−1, +/−2, . . . ) of Khz with respect to the highpower SV sooner or later. Indeed, circumstances do not need to wait forthe Doppler to shift. In a search mode, the receiver can always be atrisk to detect the cross correlation peak instead of the low power peak.The cross correlation peak always exists. It all depends on the searchsequence it follows. In a receiver with 38 db dynamic range, even that22 db based, revised threshold for conservative Approach 1 would stillbe throwing away 16 db of the dynamic range of the receiver. And if the22 db Hz threshold example for Approach 1 were reduced so as to reducethe probability of accepting invalid cross correlation peaks, thenApproach 1 effectively reduces the dynamic range of the receiver andrejects more signals from lower-power potentially useful SVs.

In FIGS. 11, 11A and 12, to address these problems, a first solutionembodiment called Mechanism-1 is operative to detect a low-powered peakof SV1 at Doppler f1 and code-phase c1 in the presence of a high poweredSV2, Doppler f2 at code-phase c2. For example, Mechanism 1 computes theactual cross correlation coefficient between SV2 and SV1 at a particularcode-phase c1−c2 and doppler f1−f2 using some dedicated hardware (orsoftware) such as cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 inFIGS. 5, 11 and 20. Mechanism 1 checks whether the observed peak ishigher than what the actual cross correlation peak would be, by using adynamic threshold. Based on this check, Mechanism 1 validates whetherthis peak in question is an actual peak. Cross correlation is checkedacross all the high power SV's visible and close to a Khz multiple. TheC/N_(o) estimate of the high powered SV's should be accurate enough as abase value relative to which the height of the cross correlation peak isdetermined for comparison with the observed peak. In general, code phasedifference c1−c2 will not be a multiple of chips and cross correlationcoefficient is calculated at the two neighbouring chips andappropriately interpolated. Margin is kept for the C/N_(o) estimationerror. In general, code phase difference would be changing within thedwell time of the low power SV. Hence more than two cross correlationcoefficients are involved in general.

In FIG. 11, Mechanism-1 is implemented with a Hardware Module that getsinputs from MPU 370 software on what cross correlation coefficients areto be computed. Software programs and specifies the two SVs, dopplerdifference f1−f2 and code-phase c₁−c₂ at which the coefficients are tobe computed. A hardware module 400 embodiment is ideal for this processsince calculating cross correlation coefficients imply multiplication of+/−1's with some Doppler rotation and hence will be low area (integratedcircuit real estate) compared to doing it in software, which is feasiblefor some embodiments in some cases but which will take a huge number ofclock cycles to do the same thing.

In FIG. 11A, a process embodiment performed in the structures of FIG. 11checks whether a peak is a true peak or a cross correlation peak. In astep 510, integration operations over a latest dwell interval in FIGS. 5and 25 are completed. Then a step 520 finds the largest peak andcomputes relevant peak statistics. A succeeding decision step 530determines whether the signal represented by that peak exceeds adetection threshold. If not, a step 540 proceeds to other operationssince no signal is detected. If Yes in decision step 530, operations ina step 550 then run cross correlation checks against all the alreadydetected higher powered satellites such as SV2 using module 400. Afurther decision step 560 determines whether the computed amount ofcross correlation is sufficient to indicate that the peak is a crosscorrelation peak or is uselessly corrupted by cross correlation. If not,the peak is regarded as a valid peak and operations proceed to SignalDetected step 570 to log the peak is valid and utilize it forpositioning purposes. If Yes in decision step 560, operations proceed tostep 580 to disregard the peak, or remove a speculative entry for thepeak if it was entered on a list of valid peaks, or enter the status ofthe peak as a Invalid. Operations loop back to step 520.

In FIG. 12, another process embodiment performed in the structures ofFIG. 11 qualifies a peak as a true peak or an invalid peak. This processembodiment of FIG. 12 is suitably performed in connection with step 550or with some alternative to the process of FIG. 11A. In a step 552,receiver 100 detects a low powered peak with PN code P1 given a 0, +/−1,+/−2, etc integer KHz Doppler difference and code lag c₁. This peakprobably is a cross correlation peak since there are so many of them inFIG. 10, but the peak might be a valid peak from SV1. Then in a step 554receiver 100 finds all the high-powered peaks like SV2 already detectedand having a Doppler difference that is close to some such integerDoppler difference value.

A further step 556 electronically calculates for every high powered peakj the cross correlation coefficient(s) Xij between two PN codes—the PNcode for SV1 and the PN code for a given high-powered peak j. For eachsuch pair of PN codes, the cross correlation coefficient is calculatedfor the particular code phase difference and Doppler difference betweenthe particular high-powered SVj code phase c_(j) and Doppler fj and thehypothesized code phase c and Doppler f1 issued as in FIG. 7 to thecorrelator for the low-power peak in question. These actual crosscorrelation coefficients obtained by electronic computation are used toestablish a variable comparison value or threshold to qualify whetherthe peak is a true peak or a cross correlation peak as discussed furtherin connection with the various Mechanisms herein.

In FIG. 13A, a collection of columns of “X” symbols represent differentsatellite visibility scenarios enumerated along the horizontal axis.From scenario to scenario, each different scenario has different numbersof acquired satellites and/or different received signal strengths forthe satellites. Each “X” symbol in a scenario column represents anexample of received signal strength of a different one of the acquiredsatellites. The vertical axis height of each “X” symbol is the receivedsignal strength of the respective acquired satellite presented forprocessing. One or more dynamic thresholds are electronically generatedand used for comparison according to inventive processes of FIGS. 11A,12, 16, and other Figures. Receiver 100 has a dynamic range with a topvalue 460 such as −125 dBm and a bottom value 461 such as −163 dBm.

In Scenario 1, the number N_(sv) of satellite vehicles is four (4), andthey are all high-powered, so no cross correlation processing is needed.The maximum received signal strength difference between them is lessthan 21 db (plus some margin).

In Scenario 2, four (4) satellite vehicles include a single high-poweredSV2 at top 460. Three low powered ones SV1, SV3, and SV4 do not exceed alevel 463 that is 21 db down from the SV2 received signal strength.Cross correlation processing is advisable, as taught herein.

Relative to top 460, or relative to the strongest SV2 466, a variablecomparison value is generated on which various thresholds such as 463,464, 468, 469 are based.

In Scenario 3, five (5) satellites include two (2) moderately poweredsignals relative to which cross correlation could occur and three lowerpowered SVs which the cross correlation might or might not interferewith. Because the amplitude or power level 466 of the highest poweredsatellite in scenario 3 is much lower than in Scenario 1 or 2, only thelowest powered SV in Scenario 3 is below some threshold 468, such as 21db down (plus some Margin) at which cross correlation should be checked.A pessimistic approach might reject the lowest powered SV (or even theother lower powered SVs) because it is below threshold 468. But supposethe actual computed cross correlation from cross-correlation mitigationhardware Xcorr 400 shows the cross correlation is only as strong as anintelligently-established threshold 469 according to the teachingsherein. The lowest powered SV is well above that threshold 469 and isacquired and tracked validly herein.

In Scenario 4, three (3) high powered satellite signals, one mediumpower satellite signal, and one low power satellite signal are visible.Only the low power satellite signal should be checked for crosscorrelation validity using module 400 because the other satellitesignals exceed level 463 and thus are within 21 db (plus Margin) of eachother. However, cross correlating them against the PN Gold code of thelowest power satellite might possibly disqualify a given peak that mightor might not be due to that lowest power satellite.

In Scenario 5, four (4) low power satellite signals all lie below apreliminary threshold 467 below which cross correlation is negligibleand does not need to be checked. Threshold 467 is about 21 db (minussome Margin) above the bottom 461 of the dynamic range.

Thus, in FIG. 13A numerous different scenarios can present themselves inactual operation of receiver 100 and are intelligently handled bythreshold processing as described to pass valid signals without unduepessimism and also to operate the more extensive cross correlationcomputation and processing by cross-correlation mitigation hardwareXcorr 400 and software only when it is really needed whereby power issaved.

In FIG. 13B, a detail of Scenario 2 of FIG. 13A shows a hypotheticalexample of different dynamic satellite-specific thresholds T1, T3, T4respectively generated for different low power satellite signals SV1,SV3, SV4. Because each of the different low power satellite signals likeSV1 have different code phases and Doppler shifts, software in FIG. 11calls module 400, in general, for cross correlation computation based ona respective distinct code phase difference and Doppler difference ofeach such low power satellite signal compared to a high power satellitesignal SV2. In this way, the processes herein are dynamic both over timeand over satellites. In FIG. 13B, each of the peaks SV1 and SV3 exceedsits respective cross correlation threshold in this particularillustration. In general, one or more peaks may be rejected, such as SV4in FIG. 13B. A stronger peak might be rejected and a weaker peak mightbe passed. The procedure here is remarkably diverse in operation, andintelligently selective and dynamic.

In FIG. 14, the case of prior arrival of the high-power satellite signalSV2 is described. After SV2 has become visible and acquired by receiver100, suppose a low-power satellite signal SV1 is acquired by search, andmodule 400 qualifies it as valid, and the SV1 signal status is GoodData—Yes. Good Data status can change during tracking, for instance, toGood Data—No for the low-power satellite signal SV1 due to motion ofsatellites SV2 and SV1 in the sky whereby changes occur in the codephase difference and Doppler difference presented to module 400 of FIGS.5, 11 and 20. Also, urban canyon or other reception conditions canchange the relative amplitudes of SV2 and SV1 and thus also change thedynamic threshold for qualifying SV1 as valid and change the status toGood Data—No. Before long, further changes in cross correlationcomputations by the module 400 intelligently qualify the SV1 peak asGood Data—Yes status again in FIG. 14 as cross-correlation conditionsimprove vis a vis SV2. However, cross-correlation conditions may fail toimprove or may again deteriorate so that the status is becomes and/orremains Good Data—No for a time duration beyond a programmable waitingperiod WAIT. Then process operations also negate the acquired status ofSV1 and again include SV1 in the Search process at right in FIG. 14.

In FIG. 15, a case of subsequent arrival of the high-power satellitesignal SV2 is described. Before SV2 becomes visible, suppose a low-powersatellite signal SV1 has been acquired and is being tracked. The SV1signal status is Good Data—Yes. Good Data status can change for thelow-power satellite signal SV1 before or after arrival of a high-powersatellite signal SV2. Cross correlation may interfere with theinformation from signal SV1 after the SV2 becomes visible but before thesignal SV2 is acquired by the receiver as an additional SV. Any suchinterfering information is likely to show up as a sudden departure inthe positioning information for SV1 and can be temporarily filtered outand signaled as Good Data—No status by the positioning engine 2270 inFIG. 38. Before long, signal SV2 is acquired. Then cross correlationcomputations by the module 400 according to the processes of FIG. 11A,12 or 16 intelligently qualify the SV1 peak or not. Before long, the SV1peak is qualified (Good Data—Yes status) as cross-correlation conditionsimprove vis a vis SV2 due to motion of satellites SV2 and SV1 in thesky.

In FIG. 16, another process example of this first solution embodimentcalled Mechanism-1 operates as follows. For example, microprocessor 370software supports the process steps as appropriate and calls forcomputation of estimated cross correlation coefficients from hardwaremodule 400.

0) Beforehand, operations commence in a step 601, and a step 605initializes and updates SVi valid/invalid status, code-phase c_(i) andDoppler frequency f_(i) and peak height (db) for each already-acquiredSVi peak determined from search and updated by tracking.1) In a step 610, the process selects from satellite IDs SVi not alreadysearched and issues the Gold code for a satellite SV1 among them. A step615 hypothesizes or issues a latest position or pair of values ofpostulated code-phase c1 and Doppler frequency f1 for SV1 (FIG. 6) inthe Search loop or Tracking loop. Step 615 is repeatedly executed forpeak-finding correlation and detection on received signals from FrontEnd 110 according to any suitable process employed by the particularreceiver architecture to be improved. The position (c₁, f1) of a peakheight (top) of a peak is detected (observed) in two dimensional codelag-Doppler space (c, f). (That code lag value c₁ in general is anyvalue, integer or not. Also, the Doppler is any value in the Dopplerrange, integer or not.) Then operations proceed to step 2.2) The process performs some checking steps 620, 625 of FIG. 16 andshown as detailed substeps 621-629 in FIG. 17 for pre-qualification andpower management. These substeps, or other suitable substeps, check todetermine if a higher power SV2 peak is insufficiently higher in powerthan the lower power peak in question and whether integer kilohertzrelative Doppler exists to possibly cause cross correlationinterference. If not, consumption of power and energy of operatingcross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 is prevented in part orentirely.2A) A first checking substep 621 determines whether the process step 0detected beforehand at least one SV2 (Doppler f2 at code-phase c2)having an amplitude at least as strong as a predetermined value A1, suchas −143 db, i.e. more than about 20 db above the −163 dBm bottom of thedynamic range of the receiver. An additional check in substep 621determines if A(SV2)−A(SV1) (or signal power difference) exceeds somevalue, say 18 dB, in case of possible cross correlation with respect toSV2. If No at step 621, go to step 6 in this list (step 650 in FIG. 16).2B) A second checking substep 623 determines whether the observed peakheight from step 1 is weaker (Yes) than a predetermined value A2 such as−144 dBm, i.e. the −125 dBm top of the dynamic range of the receiverplus some margin, minus about 20 db. (The 20 db is a little less thanthe 21 db maximum cross correlation in FIG. 9.) Some embodiments insteadcompare the peak in question with a dynamic check value (FIG. 13A) basedon the amplitude of the highest powered SV2 from step 0 plus some marginand minus the, e.g., 20 dBm. If No (not weaker), go to step 6 (650).2C) A third checking substep 624 determines whether Doppler differencef2−f1 magnitude is within a band of percentage (e.g., +/−2%) of beingany of zero (0), +/−1 kHz or multiple of +/−1 kHz. Percentage will bedecided by the coherent integration period used for detecting the lowpower SV and SNR of the low power SV at the end of the dwell. This is aninteger kilohertz test. If Yes so far, and exactly one such SV2satisfies the condition of this checking step, the peak height of thatSV2 is regarded as the reference peak height of SV2. If Yes, and step627 determines that any other such SV with a high-power signal like SV2satisfies the conditions of checking steps 621, 623 and 624, set aFLAG=1 in step 629 (else 0 in step 628) and use a function of peakheights of SV2 and each such condition-satisfying SV as described laterhereinbelow. In either such Yes case, then go via point (B) to step 3(630 of FIG. 16). Otherwise, if No in any of steps 621, 623, 624, thenpass through point NO and go to step 6 (650 in FIG. 16).3) Next, in step 630 of FIG. 16, the process electronically computes andproduces a representation of the estimated cross correlation coefficientbetween the Gold code for SV2 and the Gold code for SV1 at code-phasedifference φ=c1−c2 and Doppler frequency difference f1−f2 by calling andusing dedicated cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 (orfirmware or software) of FIGS. 5, 11 and 20. Hardware 400 computesEquation (9) or the like and gives a cross correlation result Vcorresponding to the height of a cross correlation value or point fromthe profile of FIG. 10, and may apply a decibel representation 20*log10(V/1023). If more than one high-power signal SV is present, thenhardware computes all such correlations and software combines them withthe high-power peak heights as described later hereinbelow. Operationselectronically generate a variable comparison value for threshold T in astep 635 as discussed elsewhere herein.4) The process in a step 640 further checks whether the observed peakheight from step 1 (615) is sufficiently higher than the threshold T ofstep 635 that is based on estimated cross correlation of step 3 fromhardware 400 to be a credible valid peak for SV1. In this way, a dynamicthreshold T or variable comparison value is applied that depends on thecode phase difference φ=c1−c2 and the Doppler frequency differencef1−f2. The threshold is a dynamic threshold instead of being based onsome constant invariant amount like 18 db Hz in Approach 1. The dynamicthreshold is computed in step 635 for use in step 640 as the referenceSV2 peak height db minus the magnitude db of the estimated crosscorrelation coefficient, plus some margin M (e.g., 5 db).5) Based on step 4 (640), i.e. an instance wherein the dynamic thresholdT is exceeded or not by the observed peak height from step 1, theprocess validates or determines whether a given observed peak is anactual valid SV1 peak or not. If a valid peak (Yes), a step 650electronically records the position (c₁, f1) of the peak as that ofactual satellite SV1 and operations proceed at point (D) to step 7. Ifnot a valid peak (No at rejection point (E)), operations proceed to step6 (645).6) The process of steps 1-5 is repeated systematically using a loopthrough steps 645 and 648 back to point (G) to step 615 across the twodimensional position space (c, f1) with another hypothesized value ofDoppler frequency f1 and code-phase c1 for SV1 until a peak is found (ifno SV2) or a peak is found for SV1 that passes the test of step 5 (if atleast one SV2). If no SV1 peak if found, decision step 648 determinesthat the search for SV1 is exhausted (Yes point (H)) and then a step 660makes an electronic record that SV1 is currently in not-found status.Operations go to step 7.7) In FIG. 16, operations reach decision step 655 and if another SV isto be searched (Yes), then operations loop back to step 610. The processof steps 1-6 is repeated with the Gold code for another SV to search forsuch other SV or track it. In this way, the receiver searches for andfinds and tracks each valid peak across all the visible (receivable)SVs. If No at step 655, operations reach a RETURN 695. The receiver neednot search one SV at a time. It can search multiple SV's in parallel.

Receiver will also do multiple searches in parallel. The above FIG. 16illustrates one particular mechanism for search.

Note in steps 4) and 5) that the particulars of these computations canbe optimized in various alternatives using other units besides db andusing products of quantities, instead of logarithms and additions of db.The word “strength” is used to comprehend and encompass numerousexpressions representing a signal such as power, amplitude, height, RMS,amplitude-squared, etc. For example, if A₂ is the high power SV2 signalamplitude, the threshold T in step 635 can be computed as themultiplicative productT=A ₂ *[V(φ,f2−f1)/1023]*m  (12)

Here, V(φ, f2−f1)/1023 is a value returned by the cross-correlationmitigation hardware Xcorr 400 which represents the magnitude of thecomplex-valued cross correlation summation computed with or based onEquation (9) with parameters including a given code phase differenceφ=c1−c2 and relative Doppler f2−f1, and divided by a perfect correlationof 1023. Magnitude here refers to the square root of sum of squares ofthe real and imaginary parts of the complex-valued sum. Some embodimentsare optimized to do thresholding that obviates the square root, asfollows:Th2=Th ² =A ₂ ² *[V(φ,f2−f1)/1023]² *m ²  (13)

A margin factor m, selected from some range such as 1.1 to 2 or so, isprovided such that Margin M is related to margin factor m by:M(db)=20 log₁₀(m)=10 log₁₀(m ²)  (14)

Margin factor m is reverse-related to Margin M by:m=10^(M/20) or m ²=10^(M/10).  (15)

Margin M for C/No estimation error on the strength of the higher-poweredSV (sometimes designated SV2 or SVj herein) is kept or included in thethreshold value. Margin should also take into account estimation errorsin the low powered SV. Notice that the threshold computation in step 635depends on the receiver measuring the higher-powered signal power, orits amplitude A₂, as well as the computation of the cross-correlation dbor ratio down from that higher-power signal. Because estimation errorexists in that receiver measuring process, the margin M is provided totake account of that estimation error. Also, margin M can include somemargin to reject an otherwise valid peak that is accompanied by enoughcross correlation or crosstalk to corrupt its information for certainsystem purposes. Some embodiments use one margin value M to qualify apeak for search purposes and introduce and use a second margin M′ valueto qualify the peak for passable bit error rate. Then the receivervalidly finds and tracks the peak for valid code lag purposes usingfirst margin value M and independently uses the second margin value M′to qualify the peak for bit error rate purposes before it utilizes FIG.3A data bits A, B, etc. therefrom. The second margin M′ is suitably usedto decide whether to pass this measurement to positioning or not.

Also, in general, the code phase difference φ=c1−c2 is not an exactmultiple of chips, and some embodiments the cross-correlation mitigationhardware Xcorr 400 electronically computes the estimated crosscorrelation coefficient at the two neighbouring chips and appropriatelyinterpolates based on the code phase difference. The description hereuses round-down RD(φ) and round-up RU(φ), which have values one chipapart. An interpolated value for V(φ, f2−f1) is used in the electronicthreshold Th computations by using correlation coefficient values V atthe two neighbouring chips RD(φ) and RU(φ) as expressed by Equation(16). In general, multiple cross correlation coefficients are involvedas in FIG. 26 instead of using only two coefficients.V(φ,f2−f1)=V(RD(φ),f2−f1)+[V(RU(φ),f2−f1)−V(RD(φ),f2−f1)]×[φ−RD(φ)]  (16)

Note further that certain time instants t_(m1) and t_(m2), at whichrespective measurements of code lags c₁(t_(m1)) and c₂(t_(m2)) for SV1and SV2 are respectively effective, might differ in some receiverarchitectures. In that case, some embodiments take the time differencet_(m1)−t_(m2) between the measurements into account and adjust or alignthe measured code lags c₁(t_(m1)) and c₂(t_(m2)) so that they insteadrefer to one same instant for applicable code phase c₁−c₂ purposesaccording to Equation (17).c ₁ −c ₂ =c ₁(t _(m1))−c ₂(t _(m2))+Δc ₂  (17)

A code Doppler formula (18) is applied here to implement the adjustmentΔc₂, and the background of code Doppler is discussed more in connectionwith FIGS. 22-24:Δc ₂=(t _(m1) −t _(m2))(f2/c _(L))  (18)

Note also that the dynamic threshold of Mechanism 1 will be quite lowand will accept any valid but quite low power SV if the Dopplerfrequency difference is a non-integer multiple of 1 KHz, and indeed alsoat an integer multiple of 1 KHz given any one of many possible codephase differences φ for which the cross correlation is low. But if thepredicted cross correlation value turns out to be one of the worse-caselarge values depicted in FIG. 10, then the dynamic threshold is set highand a cross correlation peak is correctly rejected as invalid. Becausethe relative Doppler and code phase receive conditions are likely tosoon change away from such a worse case value, the dynamic thresholdsoon becomes lower again and Mechanism 1 finds and acquires or acceptsvalid lower power SVs. Over time, the receiver thus endowed with thespecial dynamic threshold of Mechanism 1 effectively providespositioning information based on code lag c_(j) not only on the higherpower SVs but also on the available lower power SVs and intelligentlytakes fuller advantage of the wide dynamic range of the receiver. Inthis way, operating time and overall energy to deliver a valid receivedpeak are saved.

FIG. 18 details a portion of the process flow of FIG. 16 as analternative to that of FIG. 17 and provides intelligent operations, andpower and energy management and reduces the time burden of operations.FIG. 18 includes a preliminary check for cross correlation that checksmultiple high powered satellite signals for integer KHz Dopplerdifference relative to the low-power satellite signal SV1 subject tosearch.

A substep 705 determines whether the observed peak height A(Peak) fromstep 615 of FIG. 16 is weaker (Yes) than a predetermined value A2 suchas −144 dBm, i.e. the −125 dBm top of the dynamic range of the receiverplus some margin, minus about 20 db. If No (not weaker), go through NOin FIG. 18 to step 650 of FIG. 16. If Yes (weaker) in step 705,operations proceed to a step 710 to initialize a high-power satellitesignal count value COUNT2 to zero and initialize a COUNT of all theacquired satellites SVj to number N. A succeeding step 715 initializes adown count loop by setting an index j to point to the first entry of atable or list of the already-acquired satellites SVj and their Dopplersfj and amplitudes A(SVj).

Another checking substep 720 determines whether the signal SVj has anamplitude A(SVj) at least as strong as a predetermined value A1, such as−143 dBm, i.e. more than about 20 db above the −163 dBm bottom of thedynamic range of the receiver. An additional check in substep 720determines if A(SVj)−A(Peak) (or signal power difference) exceeds somevalue, say 18 dB, in case of possible cross correlation with respect toSVj. If No at step 720, operations go to a step 725 to decrement COUNTby one. A decision step 727 tests whether COUNT is greater than zero andif so (Yes) operations loop back to step 720 via a step 729 thatspecifies the next satellite SVj for decision step 720.

If Yes in step 720 instead, a further checking step 730 determineswhether Doppler difference fj−f1 magnitude is integer kHz, i.e. zero(0), +/−1 kHz or multiple of +/−1 kHz. More generally, this step 730tests whether that Doppler difference is or is not within a few percentof being close to an integer multiple (0, +/−1, +/−2, . . . ) of thereciprocal of the PN code period used by the system architecture. If Yesin step 730, operations proceed to a step 735 to flag-identify in atable of SVs the high-power satellite signal SVj as having integerDoppler difference relative SV1 and to increment COUNT2 as a runningcount of how many of these SVj have been identified so far. After step735, or if No in step 730, operations proceed to steps 725 and 727already described. In this way, the acquired satellites are checked oneby one until all of them have been checked and COUNT=0 in step 727 (No).Then operations proceed from step 727 (No) to another decision step 740to examine the number COUNT2 of high power satellites that were found tohave integer Doppler difference. If none (No) in step 740, operations gothrough the point NO in FIG. 18 to step 650 of FIG. 16. If COUNT2exceeds zero (>0) (Yes in step 740), this means that at least one highpower satellite does have integer Doppler difference (Yes), andoperations proceed from step 740 to a decision step 745. Decision step745 sets another Doppler flag FLAGD to zero in a step 748 if COUNT2=1and sets that Doppler flag FLAGD to one (1) in a step 749 if COUNT2 istwo or more, whence operations pass through a point B and return to FIG.16.

Thus, Mechanism-1 desirably also handles situations where more than onehigher power SV like SV2 is present and at least two of the higher powerSVs have a Doppler difference relative to lower power SV1 that are closeto one of a) zero, b) 1 KHz or c) multiple of 1 KHz. For example, if onehigher power SV2 has a Doppler difference f2−f1 relative to lower powerSV1 that is zero and another higher power SVi has a Doppler differencefj−f1 relative to lower power SV1 that is 1 KHz or multiple of 1 KHz,then this coincidental situation has occurred. Or if one higher powerSV2 has a Doppler difference f2−f1 relative to lower power SV1 that is 2KHz and another higher power SVi has a Doppler difference fi−f1 relativeto lower power SV1 that is 3 KHz, then another example of thiscoincidental situation has occurred, and so forth.

Let P1 represent the receiver-issued Gold code, and S2 and S3 representhigh powered signals from SV2 and an SV3 (after Doppler wipeoff to havetheir respective relative Dopplers with respect to SV1). Then the crosscorrelation is P1*(S2+S3)=P1*S2+P1*S3. In words, the cross correlationof the Gold code P1 for SV1 with the combination of signals from SV2 andSV3 is equal to the sum of the cross correlations of that Gold code P1with the signals from SV2 and SV3 individually. Where at least twohigher power SVs are present (FLAGD=1) that are within a predeterminedamount, say 6 db, of each other, or in general such that the sum oftheir cross-correlations with SV1 might not be negligible, then thethreshold for the low power peak is suitably established by callingcross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 to compute the(complex-valued) cross-correlation coefficient X21 using relative codephase c₂−c₁ and Doppler difference f2−f1, and each cross-correlationcoefficient Xj1 in general for high power SVj using relative code phasec_(j)−c₁ and Doppler difference fj−f1, etc. Some embodiments useparallel hardware blocks 400.1, 400.2, etc. to perform this and a blockto combine the results, while other embodiments do fast calculationsusing one block 400 and use either MPU 370 software or a circuit blockto combine the results. Cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400is suitably powered on and off when used or not, or clocked or notclocked, or otherwise power managed in a dynamic way as taught herein.

Since the phases of the satellites SV signals are independent of oneanother, the total cross-correlation uses the magnitudes ∥X_(j 1)∥ ofthe complex-valued cross-correlation coefficients multiplied by thehigher power SVj amplitudes A_(j). Relative to a highest power signallevel A_(max), the total or combined cross correlation X to which a lowpower satellite SV1 signal is subjected is given by Equation (19):

$\begin{matrix}{{A_{\max}X} = {A_{\max}*{\sum\limits_{j}{\left( {A_{j}/A_{\max}} \right){X_{j\; 1}}}}}} & (19)\end{matrix}$

The threshold is set up to include some margin M expressed as the marginfactor m:T2=A _(max) *X*m  (20)

Equation (20) is used by the hardware and/or software in place ofEquation (12) in some embodiments when more than one high powered SVsignal is present and can be expected to each contribute significantcross-correlation to be accounted for in the threshold T or T2.

In FIG. 19, Mechanism 1 in some embodiments is pipelined. Electronicoperations of peak-finding correlation 810 in the correlators 120 act asa pipeline STAGE A to find a next peak. These STAGE A operations areapproximately concurrent with, and therefore hide, STAGE B electronicoperations by microprocessor 370 and cross-correlation mitigationhardware Xcorr 400 to generate a cross-correlation value forthresholding a current peak. STAGE B has operations 820, 825, 830, 835,850 that are respectively like their counterparts 620, 625, 630, 635,650 in FIG. 16. STAGE A has a section 860 in FIG. 19 analogous to step645 in FIG. 16, except that section 860 speculatively and automaticallyupdates the search position for the peak-finding correlation 810 as ifthe currently-found peak were due to significant cross correlation.When, as in FIG. 10, dozens of cross correlation peaks surround only onevalid peak, such speculative activity by STAGE A can be useful. Section860 is disabled and re-initialized for finding another SV if it receivesa search COMPLETE signal from STAGE B indicating that a valid peak isfound. In case a valid peak is found, step 850 provides updateinformation for a list of SVs identifying the SV for which the validpeak is found, and its Doppler and code phase. A switch 870 is operatedto properly pass information from STAGE B or STAGE A to update an SVList 880. An update from step 850 is passed through a switch 870 toupdate the actual SV List 880. Otherwise, if section 855 has determinedthat search exhaustion has occurred and no update from step 850 ispresent, then a step 865 delivers information through switch 870 to SVList 880 indicating that the current SVi subject to search is Not Found.

In FIG. 20, a cross correlation interference estimation circuit 400 hasa bus 360 and a first register circuit 410 coupled to bus 360 withregister fields for entering values, parameters, or controlsrepresenting relative Doppler shift f1−f2 and relative code lag c₁−c₂from the bus 360. Circuitry 400 computes cross correlationXcorr_coeff_Real/Imag and second register circuit 415 responsivelydelivers cross correlation value(s) to bus 360. For power management,register circuit 410 has an initiation bit Gen_corr_coeff coupled toenable clock switching circuitry to pass clock to the circuit 400 andthereby control dynamic power dissipation. Initiation bit Gen_corr_coeffin some embodiments is also coupled to activate power switch circuitrythat connects a supply voltage Vcc to power on the circuit 400 itselfand thereby control static power dissipation as well.

In FIG. 20, circuit 400 includes a pseudo random noise (PN) code issuingcircuit (430, 440, 450, 460) that responds to first register circuit 410to issue a selected pair of different PN codes having the relative codelag c₁−c₂ and continually rotated relative to each other according tothe relative Doppler shift f1−f2. A control circuit such as a statemachine 420 operates in response to an initiation signal Gen_Corr_Coefffrom register 410 to establish a control sequence of operation of the PNcode issuing circuit and to deliver a completion signal outputRead_xcorr_coeffs indicating the cross correlation valuesXcorr_coeff_Real/Imag are ready in register circuit 415. For powermanagement, the completion signal is coupled to the clock switchcircuitry to decouple the clock 365. The completion signal can also becoupled to the power switch circuitry to decouple the supply voltage Vccfrom cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 and values insecond register circuit 415 remain accessible by microprocessor 370.

The PN code issuing circuit has a complex value rotation look up table(LUT) 460 and a multiplier circuit 450 that rotates at least one of theselected PN codes in response to LUT 460. A counter 425 and PN codegenerators 430 and 440 issue the different PN codes in response torespective Seed0 and Seed1 from first register circuit 410 to seed theirpseudorandom number generation processes. The LUT 460 and the PN codegenerators 430, 440 are all coupled for drive by clock 365 and/orcounter 425 running on clock 365.

PN code generators 420 and 430 generate the PN codes of SV1 and SV2 withthe relative indices p1(s+k+7) and p2(s) where index s ranges from 0 to1022. Index value s=0 corresponds to the first chip in time. Note thatindices of PN codes p1 and p2 are modulo 1023 in nature. Letfreq_relative ‘f’ from register 410 be the relative Doppler f1−f2 in Hz.

Register 410 code0_shift ‘k’ be the first relative code-phase orrelative code lag c₁−c₂ of interest between the two PN codes p1(n) andp2(n). The manner of generating the rounded integer value k based onmeasured code phase difference value φ is discussed further inconnection FIGS. 24 and 26 and Equation (34) later hereinbelow.

Multiplier circuit 450 rotates PN code p2(s) by LUT 460 sine-cosineoutput representing exp(j2πf*s*Tchip). For example, the LUT 460circuitry suitably has two outputs (either parallel or consecutive) forreal and imaginary parts respectively. Notice that the multiplier 450and the multipliers in the MAC 470 simply flip signs or not in responseto −/+1 values in the PN code sequences. Tchip is the chipping period ofGPS, which is 1 us/1.023. LUT 460 holds and outputs pre-stored values(e.g. any of 256 values, one for every four chips) representingtrigonometric sine and cosine around one full circle in the complexplane as a function of the angle argument θ. In this way, LUT 460 holdsvalues representing and implementing the exponential function exp(jθ)=cos(θ)+j sin(θ) where θ is 2πf*s*Tchip. Notice that an unspecifiedphase constant θ₀ could be regarded as a term to be added to or includedin angle θ. However, because the cross correlation amplitude forestablishing a dynamic cross correlation threshold is sought, the valueof unspecified phase constant θ₀ is irrelevant. It is irrelevant and canbe ignored because the amplitude of exp(j θ₀) is unity and thuscontributes an amplitude multiplier of unity (1.0).

LUT 460 is pre-loaded in one example by off-line computations thatgenerate 256 values of the trigonometric function sin(θ) overincremental values of θ=2π*(s/4)*4 chips/1023 radians and using arounded index s/4. LSB is 64000/2^16 Hz. The cosine values cos(θ) arejust the sine values offset by a quarter of the addresses (e.g. 64addresses) in the LUT 460. Some embodiments save LUT space by usingaddress generator 485 to access the LUT 460 not only at a first addressto obtain the imaginary part sin(θ) but also at a second address offsetby 64 addresses from the first address to obtain the real part cos(θ).

In FIG. 20, LUT 460 is driven by an address generator 485 representingangle argument θ. The angle θ addresses are sequentially output from anaccumulator 480 represented by a summer ACC and z⁻¹ feedback registerelement of one clock delay to feed the running total back to a firstinput of the summer. A second input of the summer ACC is fed with avalue freq_relative from first register 410 representing the integermultiple of 1 KHz of relative Doppler, i.e. Doppler difference. In thisway if the integer multiple is unity (1), then the accumulator outputsvalues in 1, 2, 3, . . . order, but if the integer multiple is two, theoutput values are 2, 4, 6, . . . and so forth for a multiple M toproduce output values M, 2M, 3M, . . . . Negative integer multiples −Mproduce output values −M, −2M, −3M, . . . . If no Doppler difference isinvolved, M=0, and the output of LUT 460 is 1.0 (unity real part, zeroimaginary part). In some embodiments, the values and the accumulator 480are delivered directly as integer addresses to access the LUT 460. Someother embodiments have further circuitry in address generator 485 toconvert the accumulator values to suitable addresses. The Phaseaccumulator in general will have a lot more precision (e.g., 18 bits)than an address for the LUT. The LUT can take the 8 MSB's from the phaseaccumulator as the LUT address. For the example mentioned above for 1KHz relative Doppler, phase changes from 0 to 360 degrees in 1 ms andhence the LUT address changes from 0 to 255. Since the address changesonce every four chips (1 ms is broken into 256 blocks), the LUT addresseffectively increments by 1 as in the example above.

In the high level micro architecture diagram of FIG. 20 for the crosscorrelation computation module 400, MAC stands for Multiply andAccumulate circuit. Eight stages of individual MAC units MAC7-0 have lagoffsets established by one-chip time interval registers z⁻¹ betweenthem. MAC7-0 supply outputs to deliver real and imaginary parts of crosscorrelation coefficients Xcorr(k), (k+1), . . . (k+7) to second registercircuit 415 for use in Mechanism 2 as in FIG. 24 and FIG. 26, and inMechanism 6 in FIG. 33, as described later hereinbelow.

The multiply accumulate circuit (MAC) 470 cross correlates the selectedpair of PN codes having the relative code lag and continually rotated.The second register circuit 415 is coupled to MAC 470 to enter at leastone value representing cross correlation output from MAC 470. The numberof cross correlation values xcorr provided by MAC 470 is designated N,and here N=8 (for eight adjacent chips running from 7 to 0) The computedcross correlation coefficients xcorr are:

$\begin{matrix}{\mspace{20mu}{{x\;{{corr}(k)}} = {\sum\limits_{s = 0}^{1022}\left( {{p_{1}\left( {s + k} \right)}*{p_{2}(s)}*{\exp\left( {{j2\pi}\; f*s*{Tchip}} \right)}} \right)}}} & (21.0) \\{{x\;{{corr}\left( {k + 1} \right)}} = {\sum\limits_{s = 0}^{1022}\left( {{p_{1}\left( {s + k + 1} \right)}*{p_{2}(s)}*{\exp\left( {{j2\pi}\; f*s*{Tchip}} \right)}} \right)}} & (21.1) \\{\mspace{20mu}\vdots} & \; \\{{x\;{{corr}\left( {k + 7} \right)}} = {\sum\limits_{s = 0}^{1022}\left( {{p_{1}\left( {s + k + 7} \right)}*{p_{2}(s)}*{\exp\left( {{j2\pi}\; f*s*{Tchip}} \right)}} \right)}} & (21.7)\end{matrix}$

Each MAC i, for i=0-7 respectively provides the operation

$\begin{matrix}{\sum\limits_{s = 0}^{1022}{{p_{1}\left( {s + k + i} \right)}*\left\langle {{rotated}\mspace{14mu} p\; 2(s)} \right\rangle}} & (22)\end{matrix}$in the above Equations. In some embodiments, additional hardware inblock 400 generates magnitudes ∥X∥ or squared magnitudes ∥X∥² directlyand outputs them via second registers 415 instead of providingReal/Imaginary parts as output. Still further hardware can be providedin block 400 to compute the thresholds T or T2 as described earlierhereinabove using margin parameter and amplitude inputs in firstregisters 410. Space for these inputs is shown as blank spaces in FIG.20. A hardware comparator is further provided in some embodiments andcompares the low-power peak amplitude with the threshold. The output ofthe comparison is passed to second registers 415.

FIG. 20A shows pictorially the PN codes alignment definition. PN codegenerator 430 is run k+7 times to establish initialized values p₁(s+k+7)across the z⁻¹ stages and with all eight (8) MAC7-0 real/imaginary Re/Imoutputs held at zero. Then PN code generators 430, 440 commence tooutput 1023 more bits and MAC 470 stages perform theirmultiply-accumulations.

As discussed in connection with FIG. 24, the sign of the Dopplerdifference f1−f2 determines whether offsets like 7 from a code phase kshould provide preceding or succeeding cross correlation coefficientsXcorr_coeff. In both the positive and negative sign cases, the z⁻¹stages are all previously reset or zeroed and so the logic is set up toshift values to load them with an initial set of plus/minus ones from PNcode sequence P1. For example, when the sign of the Doppler differencef1−f2 is positive, PN code generator 430 is run so that PN codegenerator 430 is run a number of cycles equal to the greater of the twonumbers represented by modulo arithmetic operations (k+7)_(mod 1023) and(k_(mod 1023)+7) to electronically establish a set of initialized valuesof PN code from p₁(k+7) back to p₁(k) across the z⁻¹ stages. When thesign of the Doppler difference f1−f2 is negative, PN code generator 430is run a number of cycles equal to the greater of the two numbersrepresented by modulo arithmetic operations k_(mod 1023) or((k−7)_(mod 1023)+7) to electronically establish a set of initializedvalues of PN code from the value p₁(k) back to p₁(k−7) across the z⁻¹stages. (The subscript mod signifies modulo arithmetic.) For suchembodiment, the hardware of PN generator 430 in FIG. 20 is suitablyprovided with modulo arithmetic, comparison and control logic that hasan input coupled to the sign bit of the Freq_Relative bit field inregister 410, and an input coupled counter 425, as well as input fromCode0_Shift.

Cooperating with cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 of FIG.20, the programmable microprocessor 370 (FIGS. 5 and 11) communicateswith first register circuit 410 in FIG. 20 and subsequently obtains andutilizes values from second register circuit 415 to reject various peaksand pass a valid peak for each visible SV. Memory RAM and ROM arecoupled to microprocessor 370 and such memory includes instructionsrepresenting operations for microprocessor 370 to accomplish itsdescribed functions. As shown in FIG. 11 high level interaction,Software commands the hardware module in FIG. 20 by supplying thevalues, parameters or controls to compute the relevant cross correlationcoefficients Xcorr_coeff so that, in general, this module 400 iscommanded multiple times asynchronously one after the other. Softwarepolls the register 410 to determine when the cross-correlationmitigation hardware Xcorr 400 is finished with a given computation. Orinterrupt methodology is alternatively used in some embodiments forhardware 400 to signal microprocessor 370 that a given cross correlationcomputation is completed.

In FIG. 20 cross correlation coefficient computation module 400 acts asa stand-alone module used by software executing on microprocessor 370 tooff-load cross correlation and related computations. Instead of thestatic threshold (e.g., 18 db) of pessimistic Approach 1, thecross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 computes the actualcross correlation coefficient of the high power SV2 for comparison withthe detected low power peak in question at the particular code-phaselag. This computed coefficient is used for establishing the threshold Tof Equation (12) or T2 of Equation (20).

FIG. 20B details state machine 420 of FIG. 20. Software ofmicroprocessor 370 starts the process by configuring or programming theset of registers 410. When programming is complete, software sets a bitdesignated Gen_Xcorr_Coeffs to request that a new set of crosscorrelation coefficients be computed by module 400. Once thisGen_Xcorr_Coeffs bit is set, hardware state machine 420 changes fromIDLE state 422 to the next state 424 LOAD AND SHIFT. Along with this,the state machine 420 hardware acknowledges software by resetting theGen_Xcorr_Coeffs bit and/or setting an ACK bit so to complete aninitiation handshake. This ensures that software gets acknowledged andfurther ensures that the state machine 420 does not do multiple loops.

The state machine in LOAD AND SHIFT state 424 loads the LFSR seeds forboth PN generators 430 and 440 for PN codes p1 and p2. The p1 codegenerator 430 is run (k+7) modulo 1023 times as discussed hereinabove toestablish the relative alignment between the two PN codes p1 and p2consistent with the software-specified relative code lag Code0_Shift.State 424 holds the MAC 470 outputs at zero and likewise holds thesecond register 415 Xcorr_coeff_Real/Imag contents at zero. When therelative alignment is established, as determined by counting clocks andcomparing the count for equality with (k+7) modulo 1023, state machine420 transitions from state 424 to RUN state 426.

In FIGS. 20, 20A and 20B, RUN state 426 runs P1 code generator 430starting from P1 code bit (k+7)_(mod 1023) to code bit(k+7+1022)_(mod 1023). RUN state 426 concurrently runs P2 code generator440 starting from P2 code bit 0 to code bit 1022. During this RUN time,MAC 470 performs the actual computations represented by Equations(21.0)-(21.7) by MAC 470. In FIGS. 20, 20A and 20B, RUN state 426controls the generation of values representing the real and imaginaryparts of eight (8) cross correlation coefficients in parallel by runningthe two PN code generators 430 and 440, running the phase rotator 480,485, 460, 450 and releasing the MAC 470 to compute with its eight unitsMAC7-0. At this point the counter 425 times out at 1022 and statemachine 420 responds by transitioning from RUN state 426 to DONE state428.

Note that once module 400 is commanded, the circuitry example of FIG. 20could take 2046 clocks in states 424 and 426 for computation of thesecoefficients xcorr_coeff. State 424 could uses anywhere from zero toabout a first 1023 clocks for running the PN code generator 430 untilthe correct starting phase (k+7)mod 1023 is reached. Then RUN state 426uses 1023 clocks for performing the actual computations represented byEquations (21.0)-(21.7) by MAC 470.

The clock rate of clock 365 or 375 of FIG. 5 to module 400 isestablished, for example, at 64 MHz or 128 MHz or other suitable clockrate to perform the functions such as clocking the accumulator ACC, thecounter 425 and the PN code generators 430, 440 and the MAC 470. Thatway, in the RUN state, 1023 MAC operations can be executed bycross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 at e.g., 64 MHz (64Mclocks/sec) in 1023/64e6 or about 16 microseconds. This hardwareoperation amounts to an embedded hardware simulation of crosscorrelation in correlator 120 sped up enormously compared to thereal-time rate of arrival of the PN codes from the satellites SVs.Software in microprocessor 370 remains idle or waits (meaning operationby that segment or function of software to utilize the particularxcorr_coeff output) until the computation by module 400 is done. To makethis software segment waiting time smaller, module 400 is run at thehighest frequency clock available. When numerous FIG. 5 channels in theSearch section and Tracking section are being controlled and are to besupported by respective electronic computations of cross correlationvalues from module 400, then fast clock and computations from module 400are desirable. Accordingly, the software is arranged, if desired, towork on other channels or tasks while an Xcorr_coeff computation for agiven channel is pending.

State machine 420 performs a completion handshake similar or analogousto the initiation handshake described hereinabove. See TABLE 1 for asummary of this field and other fields in the registers 410 and 415.Upon completion of RUN state 426, register 410 bit Read_Xcorr_Coeffs inFIG. 20 is reset. Software polls Read_Xcorr_Coeffs and upon such reset,reads the Xcorr_Coeffs from second register circuit 415 and handshakeswith circuit 415. Once software is done reading the Xcorr_Coeffs andwith state machine 420 in the DONE state 428, the state machine hardwaresets the bit Read_Xcorr_Coeffs. Upon this event, the state machine 420transitions from DONE 428 back to IDLE 422 and hardware resets thisRead_Xcorr_Coeffs bit automatically.

TABLE 1 REGISTER DESCRIPTION Register field/port Descriptiongen_xcorr_coeffs Set this bit to start computation of xcorr coeffs. Thisbit is set after all the required programmation is done. Bit is clearedby hardware. Default 0. Seed0 Seed for the LFSR1 of code generator p1.LFSR0 is seeded with all ones. Seed1 Seed for the LFSR1 of codegenerator p2. LFSR0 is seeded with all ones. code0_Shift Code-Phase Lagbetween the two codes. 10 bits. Amount of shift to be given to p1 beforemultiplying with p2 to generate the first xcorr coeff. Default value 0.freq_relative Signed integer for any of 0, +/−1, +/−2, . . . values.Phase can be assumed to be constant over 4 chips, so phase accumulator480 can run each accumulate operation in ACC once in 4 chips similar tothe correlator. Default value 0. read_xcorr_coeffs Set this bit toindicate to hardware that the xcorr coeffs have been read. Thistransitions the state back to IDLE. Default value 0. Hardware resetsthis bit along with state transition. xcorr_coeff_real_0-7 Read Only. 16bits per signed real part Re value of xcorr coeff 0-7. 8 fractionalbits. 1.7.8 format. Note that the largest xcorr coeff is around 90.Hence 7 magnitude bits should be sufficient. Range is [−128 127).xcorr_coeff_imag_0 Read Only. 16 bits per signed Im value for Imagimaginary part of xcorr coeff 0-7. 8 fractional bits. 1.7.8 format.

In FIG. 21, Results of a test of Approach 1 and an embodiment herein aredepicted. In FIG. 21, the y-axis shows number of available SVs in a 3GPPDynamic Range Test, and x-axis shows time in seconds. The 3GPP DynamicRange Test provides one High Power SV at −129 dBm, one at −135 dBm, oneat −141 dBm and three (3) low power SVs at −147 dBm. In FIG. 21, theplot shows how many SVs are detected second by second. Using Mechanism-1and -2 combined, detection of all six (6) visible SVs was repeatedlyobtained, as shown by a bold level line at 6.0 on the graph. Bycontrast, Approach 1 conservatively and unnecessarily rejects one or twoSV's (that have Doppler difference close to 1 Khz multiple) as crosscorrelation peaks. This rejection is shown by rectangular notchesdipping for a substantial length of time to 5.0 and even 4.0 SV's in thegraph.

Another solution embodiment is designated Mechanism-2, and some formsanalyze peak behaviour involving differing motion of the location of apeak by whether it is a valid peak from a real satellite SV or is aninvalid cross correlation peak. For Mechanism 2, code-doppler is definedhere as the rate at which a cross correlation peak location moves ineach millisecond. The code-doppler of a cross correlation peak willdepend on the SV2 Doppler f2 in Doppler difference f2−f1. Thecode-Doppler will thus not solely depend on low power SV1 Doppler f1resulting from an hypothesis search in the receiver.

In FIG. 22, a Mechanism-2 First Way embodiment, structure or processmeasures the change ΔR in pseudorange of the low powered peak betweentwo integration periods. FIG. 16 shows surrounding steps that areimplicit in FIG. 22 and join to FIG. 22 flow points (B), (D), (E).Operations come in via either point B of FIG. 16 or point F of FIG. 23and proceed to steps 915 and 920 that measure in a first and secondintegration period respective pseudorange values and R_(i2) of a lowpower peak in question that may be for satellite signal SVi. Comparingchange in pseudo range to carrier Doppler can be done regardless ofwhether the Doppler difference is zero or non-zero integer betweensatellites, if any. It can be done even if the higher power SV is noteven detected.

The Mechanism-2 First Way then checks, by using an electroniccomputation represented by an Inequality (23).ABS(ΔR−function of Doppler f1)≦threshold  (23)

Inequality (23) determines whether a change ΔR in pseudorange R of thelow-power peak in question determined from a subtraction step 925 inFIG. 22 matches the SV1 carrier Doppler shift f1 as determined byevaluating a metric Vi in a step 930. A step 935 checks to see if themetric lies within configured bounds or a threshold (e.g., setconservative). A match (Yes in step 935) indicates that the change ΔR inpseudorange of the low-power peak in question that has been detected inthe correlator solely depends on low power SV1 Doppler f1 according toan expected relationship of proportionality. In case a valid peak isthus found, a step 940 provides update information for a list of SVsidentifying the SV for which the valid peak is found, and its Dopplerand code phase and point D is reached (FIG. 16). If no match (No in step935), the low powered peak is probably an artifact of cross correlationand point E is reached instead.

In FIG. 22, the Mechanism-2 Way 1 for comparing Pseudo Range Differencevs Doppler is further detailed in regard to step 930 as follows. Let thepseudo ranges (code lags) of a received signal be c1 and c2 at timeinstants t1 and t2 respectively. c1, c2, t1, t2 are in the same units(e.g., of seconds). Let the carrier Doppler of the received signal be f1with units in Hertz (Hz). Pseudo Range Difference=ΔR=(c2−c1). Letp_(I)=(t2−t1) be a suitable time interval such as the integration period(dwell time). The GPS carrier frequency is 1.575e9 Hz. Define a TimingRatio (code Doppler) that represents the rate of change of pseudorange,or rate of motion of the code lag c across chips in FIG. 10:Timing_Ratio=(c2−c1)/(t2−t1)  (24)

Define a Carrier Ratio of the Doppler f1 to the carrier frequency byEquation (25).

By the physics of Doppler shift, the Carrier Ratio is also the same asthe component v of the velocity of the SV in the direction of thereceiver divided by the speed of light c_(L)=3e8 msec.Carrier_Ratio=f1/1.575e9=v/c _(L)  (25)

The carrier_ppm for Carrier_Ratio and the code_ppm for Timing_Ratio arethe same for an actual signal whereas they can be different for a crosscorrelation peak. The reason for this is seen by differencing navigationequations (1). The result, by inspection, is that the velocity componentv of a real satellite SV changes the distance of the satellite from thereceiver at a rate related to the rate of change in code lag times thespeed of light. So the Carrier Ratio and the Timing Ratio for a realsatellite are equal. Accordingly, in Mechanism-2 Way 1, the absolutevalue of their difference is tested to determine if it less than somesmall value, or not:ABS(Timing_Ratio−Carrier_Ratio)*c _(L)<ε  (26A)ABS(Timing_Ratio−Carrier_Ratio)<ε/c _(L)  (26B)

A suitably-conservative threshold ε is about 160 meters/sec. and ε/c_(L)is about 0.5 ppm.

It should be clear that any of a number of related tests, ofproportionality between the delta-pseudorange and the Doppler, can beused. Cross-multiplying denominators in Equations (24) and (25) amountsto multiplying through Equation (26A) by unitless product(t2−t1)*1.575e9 Hz, which yields an equivalent unitless test (27):ABS[(c2−c1)*1.575e9−f1*(t2−t1)]<ε*(t2−t1)*1.575e9/c _(L)(unitless)  (27)

Another equivalent test multiplies Equation (26B) through byp_(I)=(t2−t1) to directly compare Pseudo Range Difference ΔR with anexpression that involves Doppler f1:ABS(ΔR−(f1/1.575e9)*p _(I))≦ε*p _(I) /c _(L)  (28)

The symbols for Inequality (28) are:

-   ΔR: change in pseudorange R of low-power correlator peak in question-   c_(L): speed of light-   *: multiplication sign-   f1: carrier Doppler of low-power SV1 carrier-   p_(I): integration period (dwell time) or other applicable time    difference t2−t1 over which ΔR is measured.

By itself, comparing code Doppler and carrier Doppler and determiningthat it is not a valid peak may be known. However, combining thisMechanism/Way with other Mechanisms as taught herein provides furtherremarkable embodiments. A disadvantage is that it involves twointegration periods and also it does not work for zero Dopplerdifference. An advantage with it is that the high power SV need not bedetected for it to operate.

In some embodiments microprocessor 370 software supports the FIG. 22process steps as appropriate. In some other embodiments, a hardwaremodule 400 is included and provides a subtractor and comparator tosupport the process. In FIG. 22, in a stepwise process form, one form ofMechanism-2 First Way process

-   -   1) measures the change ΔR in pseudorange of the low powered peak        between two integration periods.    -   2) Checks if ABS(ΔR−function of Doppler f1)≦threshold.    -   3) If No to step 2), then rejects the low power peak as invalid.

If Yes to step 2), then the low power peak is either valid or a resultof cross-correlation with zero Doppler difference, and the process issuitably supplemented with a Mechanism that checks for cross-correlationwith zero Doppler difference.

The Mechanism-2 First Way process waits for two integrations, e.g., two1-second dwells and thus latency, and can be used as one more check ontop of the described ones for Mechanism 1, and does not depend on theprior detection of high powered peak nor measurement of amplitude ofeither a high power peak or lo power peak. Accordingly, this Mechanismis useful not only by itself but also when combined with otherMechanisms in combination embodiments like that shown in FIG. 35. Thelatency is largely hidden in some embodiments by suitable pipelininganalogous to that shown in FIG. 19. This Mechanism-2 First Way isapplicable to instances involving non-zero Doppler difference f2−f1,i.e., instances where receiver locks onto a cross correlation peak atnon-zero multiple of Khz doppler difference, which is distinguished byMechanism-2 First Way from an actual low power peak. Also, it iscontemplated that some Mechanism-2 First Way versions alternatively doany of various equivalent comparisons such as described hereinabove inconnection with Inequalities (23)-(28).

Before discussing a Mechanism 2 Way 2 embodiment of FIG. 24, descriptionturns to a Zero Doppler-difference embodiment (Mechanism 3) in FIG. 23,that provides complementing operations to the Non-ZeroDoppler-difference operations of FIG. 22. FIG. 16 shows surroundingsteps that are implicit in FIG. 23 and join to flow points (B), (D),(E). In FIG. 23, operations come in via point B of FIG. 16 and proceedto a decision step 950. Step 950 determines whether zeroDoppler-difference is present in the sense that the Doppler differenceis close to zero, e.g., within a predetermined number of Hertz of beingzero. If not, a branch is made to a Non-Zero Doppler-differenceMechanism such as by going to point (F) in FIG. 22. If ZeroDoppler-difference (Yes) in step 950, operations proceed to steps thatrespectively measure or retrieve for a same integration period, or for asame effective time, a step 955 pseudorange value R_(i) and its errorfor the possible-SVi peak in question, as well as a step 960 pseudorangeR_(j) of a high power peak for SVj. Adjustment in pseudorange issuitably made in case the times of measurements of R_(i) and R_(j)differ, so as to make the values R_(i) and R_(j) refer instead to thesame instant.

In FIG. 23, the case of Zero Doppler difference is handled by a solutionembodiment designated Mechanism-3. Zero-Doppler difference is a specialcase that is handled by the Mechanism-3 embodiment to determine whethera low powered peak is a cross correlation peak from a high poweredsatellite SV2 with same Doppler shift as the lower powered satelliteSV1, or whether the low powered peak constitutes a valid peak instead.In the zero-Doppler case, no smearing of the cross correlation peak isinvolved.

A pseudorange obtained from a cross correlation peak with a high poweredsatellite SV2 will always be integer chips away from the actualpseudorange of the high powered SV2 because a cross correlation peak canbe an artifact of cross correlation between Gold codes themselves whenthe Gold code generated by the receiver based on the received SV1satellite ID is cross correlated with the different Gold code arrivingin the high-power signal from SV2. The correlator in effect slides theGold codes at its inputs relative in time to one another, and some ofthese relative times (measured in chips equal to 1 ms/1023) areassociated with correlator output peaks as in FIG. 26. For example, ahigh powered SV at −126 dBm might have cross correlation peaks at −150dBm that will be falsely detected with a 1-sec integration.

Refer back to FIG. 8 for purposes of describing Mechanism-3, let ‘t2’ bethe peak location (expressed in time t or code lag c) for a high-powersignal from SV2; and let ‘t3’, ‘t7’ and ‘t4’ be cross correlation peaksof SV1 and SV2 at zero Doppler-difference. Then the differences ordisplacements t3−t2, t7−t2 and t4−t2 are multiples of GPS Chipping rate.This is because both the high powered peak for SV2 and the crosscorrelation peaks are coming from the same pulse shape, i.e. the Goldcode carried by or riding on the SV2 signal is included in one input tothe correlator in both instances. Accordingly, the peak location t₂ ofSV2 relative to the receiver timebase when the receiver correlated theSV2 Gold code with received signal has to be integer chips away from across correlation peak location arising when the receiver insteadinjects the SV1-ID Gold code into a correlator in the presence of allthe satellite signals including the received SV2 signal with itsSV2-specific Gold code. By contrast, for valid SV1 peak at time t1, thedifference t1−t2 will most likely be a non-integer chips value or soonwill be non-integer due to independent motion of satellites SV1 and SV2.If the two peaks are not integer chips away, then the low power peakpasses FIG. 23 step 965 (Yes) and is not a cross correlation peak. Butif they are integer chips away then the peak in question branches fromstep 965 (No) and either might be an actual peak or might be a crosscorrelation peak. It is possible for an actual peak to be integer chipsaway from a high power peak location, it still need not be crosscorrelation.

If the peaks are integer chips away, some embodiments use one or moreother different Mechanisms such as in FIGS. 16 and 20 to do furtherchecking to resolve the validity of the peak.

Some other embodiments simply invalidate the peak by presumption for thetime being during tracking of SV1, or may continue assessing peaks andexhaust a search on SV1; and then steps 950-970 of Mechanism 3 arere-executed to do the further checking for this satellite SV1 after aperiod of time when the difference t1−t2 soon will be non-integer due toindependent motion of the satellites SV1 and SV2. Such period of timecan be a statically-configured waiting time or dynamically set equal tothe error in the pseudorange divided by the relative code Doppler forthe satellites (difference of their Equation (24) expected or measuredtiming ratios). If and when the chips-away difference becomesnon-integer, then the peak is validated on search or reinstated as avalid peak during tracking.

In FIG. 23, Mechanism 3 has the accuracy or error ε1 of the crosscorrelation peak location estimate configured, accounted, estimated, ordetermined in step 955. Step 965 determines whether a computedpseudorange plus or minus the error ε1, encompasses or fails toencompass an integer chip value of distance away from the pseudorange ofa high power SVj already computed or retrieved in step 960. Put anotherway, the test of step 965 determines whether the actual differenceR_(i)−R_(j) departs from the integer-rounded value of that difference bymore than the error ε1 in the pseudorange R_(i) of step 955. If NO instep 965, the peak may be a valid peak or an invalid peak and operationseither invalidate the peak by presumption or go to further checkingbased on a decision step 975 to resolve the peak. If invalid, operationsthen go through point (E) and back through steps thereafter in FIG. 16.If further checking is configured, step 975 (Yes) goes to step 630 ofFIG. 16 as an example of further checking. If YES (non-integer chipsaway), Mechanism 3 declares the peak to be a valid peak (or not-invalidpeak) and records information for it in a step 970 and reaches point(D). It should be understood that any of a variety of substantiallyequivalent ways of performing this test can be provided. Also, if theSVj pseudorange also has a not-insignificant error, then the error foruse in the test is based on both the error of the peak in question andthe SVj error.

For a numerical example of the test of step 965, suppose a measured peakis −150 dBm and is obtained from 1-sec integration. Then thisintegration leads to a certain peak location estimation error in meters(m.) of position error. Suppose further for the example that it may leadto +/−30 m error whereas one-chip error corresponds to 300 m (1usec/1.023×3e8 m/sec). If the pseudorange is 50 m away from the nearestone-chip position relative to the pseudo range of a higher power peakaround the same Doppler, then the +/−30 m error does not encompass thatnearest one-chip position and the peak is declared valid. This isbecause a peak that is not integer chips away from a high powered peakis not acting like a cross correlation peak.

In FIG. 23 Mechanism 3, the time of code lag measurement on the higherpower peak may differ from and be earlier than the time of the currentcode lag hypothesis pertaining to the lower power peak in question. Inthat case, the value of code lag of the higher power peak established atthe earlier time is adjusted to the time of the current code laghypothesis by multiplying the time difference times the code Doppler(rate of change of code lag) of the higher-power peak and adding theresult to the value of code lag of the higher power peak established atthe earlier time. In this way, the code Doppler is taken intoconsideration and accounted for prior to determining whether therelative code lag is integer chips away or not, i.e. prior todetermining whether the computed pseudorange encompasses an integer chipvalue away. Relative code lag here means the difference between the codelags for the higher and lower power peaks at one same instant. In otherwords, a timing offset can exist between different times of measurementof the produced peak and the high power peak respectively, and the crosscorrelation detector is operable to make the integer chips away (or not)determination considering the timing offset as well.

In FIG. 24, a Mechanism-2 Second Way embodiment, structure or processrecognizes that since the Doppler used for searching the low power SV1is f1, but interference by high power SV2 has a different Doppler f2,the cross correlation peak automatically gets smeared out. Beforedescribing the illustrated steps in FIG. 24, some discussion about thesmearing phenomenon is provided. The amount of smearing is higher if theDoppler difference magnitude ABS(f2−f1) is higher or if the integrationtime period is higher. The direction of the smearing over time dependson the sign of the difference f2−f1. The cross correlation peak issmeared over a period P, as the peak sweeps across code lags definingperiod P. Period P is also designated smearing time t_(sm), expressed byEquation (29) in chips:P=t _(sm)=[(f2−f1)/(1.575e9 Hz)]*(dwell_time(sec))*1.023e6chips/sec  (29)

For instance, a dwell_time for integration can be on the order of one(1) second e.g., established anywhere in a range of one coherentintegration period (20 ms) to several tens of seconds or more. For anumerical instance, the smearing time is about 2 chips when the Dopplerdifference f2−f1 is 3 KHz and the integration period (dwell_time) is 1sec.

This smearing phenomenon expressed by Equation (29) for crosscorrelation peaks is heuristically understood by recognizing fromDoppler physics that the velocity v₂ of a satellite vehicle SV2 in thedirection of the receiver 100 is related to its Doppler shift f2 byv ₂ /c _(L) =f2/(1.575e9 Hz)]  (30)

Depending on whether or the satellite vehicle SV2 is moving closer orfarther away from the receiver, the PN code from SV2 is advanced (plus,+) or retarded (minus, −) in chips as received by the receiver.Satellite vehicle SV2 moves a distance (v₂*dwell_time) relative to thereceiver, and that distance is proportional to the dwell time.Accordingly the PN Gold code from SV2 is advanced or retarded in secondsby the amount of the distance moved relative to the receiver divided bythe speed of light c_(L). Equation (31) then converts the amount ofadvancement or retardation time to chip units recognizing that there are1.023e6 chips in each second.(v ₂*dwell_time)/c _(L)*1.023e6 chips/sec  (31)

Of course, the satellite vehicle SV1 that is being searched or trackedalso has a Doppler shift f1 that could analogously cause an advancementor retardation of its PN Gold code relative to the SV1-specific PN Goldcode issued by the receiver to the correlator for correlation therewith,and intended to detect a valid peak for SV1. However, as shown in FIG.25, Doppler adjustment blocks 2730.1, .2, . . . .n slightly adjust eachof the 20 ms coherent integration outputs 2722.1, .2, .n by a code lagtime-correction based on the hypothesized Doppler shift f1:.1,.2,.n*(−f1)/(1.575e9 Hz)]*(20 ms)  (32)

FIG. 25 depicts coherent and non-coherent processing in one channel ifor one satellite SVi signal i, see 310.i and 320.i in MeasurementEngine 2260 of FIGS. 5 and 38. In the channels, autocorrelation peaksare obtained that relate to receiver local time t_(Rj) for each acquiredsatellite j on which processing is performed. Note that the receiver isintended therefore to respond to autocorrelation peaks, and notcross-correlation peaks that may also be present. Accordingly,dramatically enhanced cross correlation mitigation is provided asdescribed herein. The autocorrelation process includes summation,accumulation or integration. Some embodiments use the Precision P codefor the PN sequence for high accuracy, or use both the P and C/A codeslikewise. Some embodiments track phase of the carrier itself todetermine user kinematics or other precise measurements. Someembodiments use a longer noncoherent summation interval, such as 10seconds, to deliver enhanced SNR in by operating the receiver as a (20,500) receiver for receiver position and bias error operations, andoperate the receiver instead as a (20, 50) receiver at somewhat lowerSNR for data reception operations such as ephemeris, satelliteidentification, and almanac.

Integrator block 2712 sums all the Doppler-adjusted integration outputs.When a valid SV1 peak is found, its Doppler-adjusted components willstrongly accumulate and peak at one code lag. But for an SV2 crosscorrelation peak, the successive advancement or retardation over thecoherent integrations 2722.1, .2, . . . .n for SV2 in Equation (31) iscombined with the Doppler adjustments 2730.1, .2, . . . .n over thedwell time for SV1 in Equation (32). For non-zero Doppler difference,this combining results in a series of small cross correlationcontributions for SV2 that have their code lags smeared out in FIG. 28Aor 29A. Equations (30), (31), (32) combine to yield Equation (29).Accordingly, the smearing time is as given in Equation (29). It shouldbe clear that the individual signs (plus or minus) of the Doppler shiftsf2 and f1 are important in establishing the difference f1−f2 in Equation(29).

Because of the smearing the smeared cross correlation peak isattenuated. This attenuation represents an advantage in applyingMechanism 2, Second Way as a detection process. Where higher Dopplerdifferences are involved, they automatically have higher amount ofsmearing and more attenuation of the cross correlation peak.Accordingly, a lower, less pessimistic threshold can be used to passtrue peaks as valid.

In FIG. 24, this Second Way, process or embodiment for Mechanism-2recognizes that the smearing will flatten the peak, if the smearinghappens as a result of Doppler frequency difference f₁−f₂ over manychips (e.g., at least 4 (or 8) chips). Thresholding is used to rejectsuch cross-correlation peaks according to steps in FIG. 24 detailednext.

In FIG. 24, this embodiment is described by comparison with FIG. 16.FIG. 16 shows surrounding steps that are implicit in FIG. 24 and join toflow points (G), (D), (H). Operations pass through point G and performpeak-finding correlation 2615. A peak that is found has an hypothesizedDoppler f1 and code lag c_(i)(t). Peak checking substeps 2620 andtesting for possibly-significant cross correlation 2625 parallel theprocess steps in already-described FIG. 17 or FIG. 18. If no crosscorrelation issue (No at step 2625), operations branch to step 2650 toupdate the SV List with valid peak ID, Doppler, and code phase. Thedescription at this point focuses on a possibly-significant crosscorrelation issue (Yes) that proceeds to step 2630. Steps 2630, 2670,2680, 2640 robustly handle smeared peaks intelligently and withoutpessimism.

Step 2630 calls the cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 ofFIGS. 5, 11 and 20. Hardware 400 of FIG. 20 is called by step 2630 atthe end of the integration interval (dwell) when the low power peak isvisible, and values for register 410 fields Code0_shift andFreq_relative are provided. Hardware 400 generates values for thecross-correlation coefficients illustrated in FIG. 26 by C(1), C(2), . .. C(6) in a code lag range. Hardware 400 automatically provides PN codelagged to or offset by a series of code phases for MAC 470. MAC 470electronically generates particular complex values Ci of the crosscorrelation coefficients Xcorr_coeff of FIGS. 26 and 20 for the numerousthus-offset code lags k+7, k+6, . . . k that arise in smearing. In otherwords, when a low power peak is found, the circuitry in step 2630 ofFIG. 24 back calculates all the relative code lags with respect to thehigh power peak location which would have affected this low power peakduring the completed dwell. The cross correlation coefficients Xij atall those relative code lags are computed to estimate the average valuein a succeeding step 2670.

In FIG. 24, that succeeding step 2670 then electronically combines someor all of these Xcorr_coeff values from FIG. 20. Step 2670 thereby findsthe average estimated amplitude for thresholding purposes of thecross-correlation after smearing according to electronic processing incross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 or elsewhere represented(FIG. 26) by piecewise area-under-curve Equation (33) divided by theapplicable time interval t_(sm)=(t_2−t_1) or code lag interval (e.g., inchips),Xcorr_coe_avg=[A1+(C2+C3)/2+(C3+C4)/2+(C4+C5)/2+A2]/(t _(—)2−t_(—)1)  (33)where A1=(C2−(C2−C1)(2−t _(—)1)/2)(2−t _(—)1)  (33.1)A2=(C5+(C6−C5)(t _(—)2−5)/2)(t _(—)2−5)  (33.2)

A combining function is thus applied, such as in Equation (33), or isalternatively applied by some weighted or unweighted summation oraveraging function or some other suitable combining function. Dependingon the length of the code lag interval (t_2−t_1), fewer than all eightCi values of Xcorr_coeff in FIG. 20 or more than those eight aregenerated and selected for use in the averaging computation. In otherwords, the complex values Ci of Xcorr_coeff_Real/Imag that pertain tothe smearing interval t_(sm)=(t_2−t_1) are the ones illustrated in FIG.26 and that get selected by software for averaging according to Equation(33). To keep the nomenclature clear, note that the value t_1 refers toexact measured codephase φ=c₁−c₂ discussed earlier hereinabove. Valuet_2 is obtained by software as the sum of t_1 plus the value of smearingtime t_(sm) from Equation (29).

Note that the value of t_(sm) from Equation (29) can be positive ornegative. Time t_1 is the time or code lag signified by code lag k inFIG. 20. Correspondingly, and depending on the sign of the Dopplerdifference f1−f2, the FIG. 26 Ci values of Xcorr_coeff are generated inFIG. 20 to either succeed or precede the value of Xcorr_coeff at codephase k. The reason for this is seen by considering the relative motionof the superimposed graphs of FIG. 10. Visualize the graph of the SV1peak moving at a rate proportional to the Doppler shift f1, rightward iff1 is positive and leftward if f1 is negative. Further visualize thegraph of the entire cross correlation profile of FIG. 10 moving at arate proportional to the SV2 Doppler shift f2, rightward if f2 ispositive and leftward if f2 is negative. Relative to the position of avalid received SV1 peak, the motion of the graph of the entire crosscorrelation profile of FIG. 10 moves at a rate proportional to theDoppler difference f1−f2, rightward if f1−f2 is positive and leftward iff1−f2 is negative. Heuristically, this visualization of the relativemotion underlies the lack of smearing analyzed in FIG. 23 when theDoppler difference is zero because the superimposed graphs are moving inthe same direction at the same rate (code Doppler) and one given crosscorrelation value in the profile remains at the position of the SV1 peakas both move in tandem. And when the Doppler difference is nonzero, thisvisualization underlies the smearing and its possible directions asdiscussed here in connection with FIGS. 24, 26, and 20. When the Dopplerdifference is nonzero, the complex-valued cross correlation profilekaleidoscopically sweeps across the SV1 peak. The cross correlationprofile sweeps across the hypothesized code lags for SV1. The SV1 signalmay or may not be present at the hypothesized lags and Doppler. If theSV1 peak is moving rightward faster (or leftward slower) than the crosscorrelation profile, then the Doppler difference f1−f2 is positive andcross correlation profile kaleidoscopically sweeps relatively leftwardacross the SV1 peak. If the SV1 peak is moving leftward faster (orrightward slower) than the cross correlation profile, then the Dopplerdifference f1−f2 is negative and the cross correlation profilekaleidoscopically sweeps relatively rightward across the SV1 peak. Thisis why, depending on the sign of the Doppler difference f2−f2, the FIG.26 Ci values of Xcorr_coeff are generated in FIG. 20 to either succeedor precede the value of Xcorr_coeff at code phase k and used in FIG. 24.The extent of this sweep or smearing is specified by smearing timet_(sm) of Equation (29), so the pertinent Ci values of Xcorr_coeff arethose that lie within the code-lag-based smearing time t_(sm) and thathave arisen by virtue of the SV1 and SV2 satellite physical motionsduring the integration dwell_time.

Let it be emphasized that SV1 need not be present at all at the searchedDoppler f1 and the code lags. If the receiver searches for SV1 atDoppler f1, it will automatically see these smeared cross correlationpeaks from SV2 at a Doppler f2. The presence of the smeared crosscorrelation peaks are irrespective of the presence of the SV1 signal.

In FIG. 24, Peak Checking substeps 2620 are suitably executed after thecomplete integration is done. Another form of the process embodimentlike FIG. 24 is instead the same as FIG. 16 except that step 630 of FIG.16 is replaced by this more generalized process that computes averagecross correlation coefficient. This average cross correlationcoefficient as described is a function of cross correlation coefficientsat multiple lags.

Also, FIG. 24 step 2615 has an integration dwell time, e.g. 1-sec, forthe lower power peak, just as an example and in general the integrationtime could be any value, e.g., values for integration duration for lowpower SV's in a range 200 ms to 64 secs.

In general, and as noted in connection with Equation (16) and FIG. 20hereinabove, the code phase difference φ=c1−c2 is not an exact multipleof chips. In some embodiments, microprocessor 370 enters the exactmeasured code phase difference value φ=c1−c2 into register fieldCode0_Shift. Depending on whether the sign of the Doppler differencef1−f2 is positive or negative, cross-correlation mitigation hardwareXcorr 400 electronically rounds down RD or rounds up RU the code phasedifference value φ as expressed by equation (34).

$\begin{matrix}{k = \begin{matrix}{{{{{RD}(\phi)}\mspace{14mu}{if}\mspace{14mu} f\; 1} - {f\; 2}} \geq 0} \\{{{{{RU}(\phi)}\mspace{14mu}{if}\mspace{14mu} f\; 1} - {f\; 2}} < 0}\end{matrix}} & (34)\end{matrix}$

Note also that when smearing t_(sm)=0 then Equations (33)-(33.2) reduceto and use only the two computed cross correlation valuesC1=c(1)=Xcorr(k) and C2=c(2)=Xcorr(k+1). Also, the cross correlationresult in that case is equivalent to that obtained from Equation (16).

Selected values for piecewise computation of FIG. 24 step 2670 areobtained from register 415 and are designated here as Xcorr(k) throughXcorr(k1) inclusive. Xcorr(k) in FIG. 20 is the value labeled c(1) ofFIG. 26, and which is the value designated as C1 of Equations(33)-(33.2). Xcorr(k1) here is the value labeled as if k1 were equal tosix (6) in c(6) of FIG. 26, and which is the value designated as C6 ofEquations (33)-(33.2). In general, however, the integer value k1 is thenumber given by Equation (35), where smearing time t_(sm) iselectronically computed positive or negative from Equation (29)discussed earlier hereinabove.k1=RU(φ+t _(sm)) if f1−f2>=0  (35A)k1=RD(φ+t _(sm)) if f1−f2<0  (35B)

Further in FIG. 24, next, a step 2680 then electronically subtracts theestimated average value xcorr_coe_avg (db) for the cross correlationfrom the measured value A(SVj) of amplitude (db) of high poweredinterfering signal SVj. That high power amplitude is approximatelyconstant during the integration interval and is thus taken into account.In FIG. 24, the legending indicates the analogy or parallelism ofnotation between step 635 that involves a computed cross correlation Xijin FIG. 16 and the step 2680 of FIG. 24 that involves the computedaverage cross correlation Xcorr_coe_avg, wherein Xij is replaced byXcorr_coe_avg.

In FIG. 24, a decision step 2640 then electronically compares thedifference obtained by electronic subtraction in step 2680 with athreshold quantity of db (e.g., 5 to 6 dB, representing some suitablepower margin M). If the difference exceeds the threshold quantity (Yes)in step 2640, then the step 2650 declares and records the observed peakas a valid peak in any suitable manner such as by entering the Dopplershift in code lag corresponding to the lower powered satellite vehicleSVi for which the search is made. Otherwise, if No in step 2640, thenoperations pass through point E and go to a step 2645 that does asystematic update to the search position and loops back through searchexhaustion test 2648 to find another peak.

The C(n) values shown in FIG. 26 are illustrated as if they were themagnitude of cross correlation coefficients, but in reality the Cn arecomplex-valued coefficients due to the exponential factorexp(j2π(f2−f1)t) in cross-correlation Equation (9). These complex-valuedcoefficients have the real and imaginary parts provided, for instance,as in FIG. 20 xcorr_coeff_Real/Imag. When interpolating adjacentcoefficients, the electronic computation according to Equation (33) isoperable to electronically add up destructively to yield smalleramplitudes in the sum than some amplitude of a given summand Cn. Thatmeans the resulting average from Equation (33) is lower and lesspessimistic and more desirable as a threshold. Taking magnitude of Cn insome embodiments can simplify the implementation but leads to a morepessimistic estimation of cross correlation energy. Note also thatexponential factor exp(j2π(f2−f1)t) becomes more important todetermining the sum when the Doppler difference is very large and/or thesmearing time is very long.

Some embodiments pattern this smeared peak embodiment after any ofEquations (12), (13) or (20) without using db, such that the thresholdis computed for instance as the product of the SV2 high power signalamplitude times the average smeared cross correlation coefficient timesthe margin factor:Th=A ₂ *∥Xcorr_coe_avg/1023∥*m  (36)

A theoretical discussion of a model of smearing is provided next usingFIGS. 27-29B. This discussion facilitates understanding of the conceptof smearing and some of its qualitative properties by considering aspecial case of one cross correlation peak being smeared across thesmearing time. It is emphasized, however, that the structures andoperation described in FIGS. 24-26 execute an even more intricateestimation of the varying complex cross-correlation coefficientsinvolved in smearing.

With smearing absent, FIG. 27 shows how the area of overlap of a chipwith itself goes from maximum at full overlap to zero by displacementright/left by +/−1.0 t_(chip). Put another way, the autocorrelation of aPN code with itself goes from a maximum at full overlap to zero at+/−1.0 t_(chip). The graph of overlap is therefore triangular as shownat left and right in FIG. 27. The width W of the sharp peak is2t_(chip).

The smearing model described in the next few paragraphs concludes withEquation (39) and expresses as its result an attenuation A caused bysmearing of FIG. 28A or 29A to the cross correlation peak.

By way of introduction to the model, a given sharp cross correlationpeak of a given intensity represented as unity (1.0) height can beheuristically pictured as the sum of a large number N of small peakshaving the same width W but 1/N the height of the sharp peak,superimposed on one another and adding up to constitute and equal theheight of that sharp peak of unity height.

Smearing spreads the small peaks across a wider range of chips.Accordingly, at any one chips value, the N small peaks sum up (byintegration in the receiver) to a peak, but of less height or intensity.That peak of less height is thus attenuated by a factor A relative tothe height of the original sharp peak.

In FIGS. 28A and 29A, the width of a peak is also the dimension from thepeak middle value of chips to a tail at one side of the sharp peak. InFIG. 28A, the smearing time t_(sm) is less than 2t_(chip). In themiddle-left point set 2850 of the smeared peak, the N small peaks extenda proportion of the slant of a small peak down from its middle and theproportion x is given by t_(sm)/t_(chip). However, in the very middleset of points 2860 of the smeared peak for which the sum is the most,N/2 pairs of crossovers of the small peaks extend a proportion x/2 ofthe slant of a small peak down from its middle. The attenuation A is thesum of the heights of N points at the N/2 crossovers, i.e. two (2)points at each of the N/2 crossovers to account for N peaks each havinga height 1/N. Some embodiments recognize that this sum is a complex sumdue to the exponential factor exp(j2π(f2−f1)t) in cross-correlationEquation (9). In some other embodiments, that exponential factor isignored. For the introductory example next, the exponential factor isignored for purposes of the sum, and Attenuation A is therefore given byEquation (37 and 37A) in the limit for large N. It will not really be acomplex sum since it can be visualized as though these peaks are addednon coherently. As an example if we take a (20,50) dwells, it can bevisualized as though 50 small peaks are added non coherently, but sincethey are not aligned the peak is smeared and attenuated.

$\begin{matrix}{\mspace{20mu}{{A = {\lim\limits_{N\rightarrow\infty}{\left( {2/N} \right){\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{N/2}\left\lbrack {1 - {\left( {x/2} \right)\left( {i/\left( {N/2} \right)} \right)}} \right\rbrack}}}}{A = {{\lim\limits_{N\rightarrow\infty}\left\lbrack {\left( {N/2} \right)/\left( {N/2} \right)} \right)} - {{\left( {2/n} \right)\left\lbrack {\left( {N/2} \right){\left( {\left( {N/2} \right) + 1} \right)/2}} \right\rbrack}{\left( {x/2} \right)/\left( {N/2} \right)}}}}}} & (37)\end{matrix}$A=1−x/4=1−t _(sm)/4t _(chip) when t _(sm)<2t _(chip)  (37A)

On the other hand, in FIG. 29A, the smearing t_(sm) is greater than orequal to 2t_(chip). Heuristically speaking, in the middle of the smearedpeak, the contributions from crossover points 2960 of small peaks extendall the way down the slant of a small peak. But this time the number ofcrossover points 2960, the ones which contribute to the overall smearedpeak height sum in its middle, is only a fraction r of the N smallpeaks. That fraction r is the same as the ratio 2*t_(chip)/t_(sm). Thefactor of 2 gets cancelled by one more factor of 2 which comes becauseall the peaks do not contribute equally. Hence the final attenuationbecomes tchip/tsm. The attenuation A is the sum of the heights of two(2) points in each of the Nr crossovers in set 540, and attenuation A istherefore given by Equation (38 and 38A) in the limit for large N.

$\begin{matrix}{A = {\lim\limits_{N\rightarrow\infty}{\left( {2/N} \right){\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{Nr}\left\lbrack {1 - {i/({Nr})}} \right\rbrack}}}} & (38) \\{{A = {{\lim\limits_{N\rightarrow\infty}{2\left\lbrack {\left( {{Nr}/N} \right) - {{{Nr}\left( {{Nr} + 1} \right)}/\left( {2N^{2}r} \right)}} \right\rbrack}} = {r = {t_{chip}/t_{sm}}}}}{{{when}\mspace{14mu} t_{sm}}>={2t_{chip}}}} & \left( {38A} \right)\end{matrix}$

The smeared peak attenuation A is summarized by Equation (39):

$\begin{matrix}{A = \begin{matrix}{{1 - {x/4}} = {{1 - {1/\left( {4r} \right)}} = \left( {1 - {{t_{sm}/4}t_{chip}}} \right)}} \\{{{{when}\mspace{14mu} t_{sm}} \leq {2t_{chip}}},\mspace{14mu}{r \geq {.5}},\mspace{14mu}{0 \leq x \leq 2}} \\{r = {{1/x} = {t_{chip}/t_{sm}}}} \\{{{{when}\mspace{14mu} t_{sm}} \geq {2t_{chip}}},\mspace{14mu}{0 \leq r \leq {.5}},\mspace{14mu}{x \geq 2}}\end{matrix}} & (39)\end{matrix}$

FIGS. 30A and 30B show a curve of the model Equation (39) attenuation Aversus ratio r and fraction x respectively. In Equations (37)-(39),smearing time is t_(sm) from above Equation (29) and chip period isdesignated by t_(chip) (e.g., 1 sec/(1.023e6)).

Because t_(sm)/N can also be thought of as a small incremental timeacross the horizontal width of an unsmeared peak, a sum of points on theunsmeared triangular curve of a peak times t_(sm)/N can also beinterpreted in the limit as an area under part or all of that triangularcurve as shown in FIGS. 28B and 29B. This Area interpretation isexpressed in algebra by a change of variable compared to attenuation Ain Equation (37) and in Equation (38). In both cases, the result is thatattenuation A is interpreted as an average height over the Area sweptout over an interval of time t equal to the smearing time t_(sm). Afactor two (2) is interpreted as referring to symmetric pairs of pointson the triangular shape on either side of its peak.

Corresponding to the Area under a portion of the triangle in FIG. 28B isthe equation (37B):

$\begin{matrix}{{Area} = {{\lim\limits_{N\rightarrow\infty}{2*{\sum\limits_{t = {{tsm}/N}}^{{tsm}/2}{\left\lbrack {1 - {\left( {x/2} \right){\left( {{Nt}/t_{sm}} \right)/\left( {N/2} \right)}\left. \quad \right)}} \right\rbrack\left( {t_{sm}/N} \right)}}}} = {{A*t_{sm}\mspace{14mu}{when}\mspace{14mu} t_{sm}} \leq {2t_{chip}}}}} & \left( {37B} \right)\end{matrix}$

Equation (38B) relates the Area under the entire unsmeared triangle inFIG. 29B to the attenuation A:

$\begin{matrix}{{\lim\limits_{N\rightarrow\infty}{2*{\sum\limits_{t = {{tchip}/{Nr}}}^{tchip}{\left\lbrack {1 - {{t/t_{chip}}\left. \quad \right)}} \right\rbrack\left( {t_{chip}/{Nr}} \right)}}}} = {{Area} = {{A*\left( {t_{chip}/r} \right)} = {{A*t_{sm}\mspace{14mu}{when}\mspace{14mu} t_{sm}} \geq {2t_{chip}}}}}} & \left( {38B} \right)\end{matrix}$

Discussion now turns to a tabulation of the attenuation A. Forconvenience, the attenuation A is expressed in decibels (db) so thatA(db)=20 log₁₀(A)  (40)

For example, if a 1-sec integration by Mechanism-2 is performed as shownbelow, the attenuations A(db) are computed from the Equations (40 and39) and yield the various attenuation values in TABLE 2. In words, thefaster a single cross-correlation peak sweeps by a valid low power SV1peak, the less interference is made by the cross-correlation peak. TheDoppler difference is related to the rate at which the cross-correlationpeak moves.

TABLE 2 ATTENUATION OF CROSS-CORRELATION PEAK Doppler Attenuation (db)(1sec difference integration) 1 Khz 1.54 2 Khz 3.41 3 Khz 5.80 4 khz8.2931 5 khz 10.2313 6 khz 11.8149 7 khz 13.1539

Note that TABLE 2 assumes that the cross correlation peak goes to zeroafter one-chip whereas in reality the cross correlation peak can besomewhat flat if the cross correlation is high at two consecutivecode-phases. The most general case is that of multiple cross correlationcoefficients of different values each.

FIG. 30C illustrates how the predicted average height ˜a of a smearedpeak diminishes as a function of smearing x. Since the smearing x can bemeasured for a given peak, the predicted average height can beelectronically computed. The average height of smeared peak is itsaverage over its width. The average height in FIG. 30C starts from ½when there is no smearing since the peak is triangular in FIG. 29B andthe area of a triangle is ½ base times height, Also, the relationship ofsmearing x=t_(sm)/t_(chip) to the measured width t_(w) of a peak isfound from:t _(w)2=2t _(chip) +t _(sm)  (40)

Then the smearing x is given byx=(t _(w) /t _(chip))−2  (41)

FIG. 31 is positioned on a drawing page below FIG. 12. In FIG. 31, notealso that, as shown at location t5 of FIG. 8, the cross correlationcoefficient can be similar at adjacent chip phases and hence will looklike a flat (smeared) peak there. If a peak is smeared, it is regardedas invalid for at least some purposes here. However, not every invalidpeak is smeared much, such as cross-correlation peaks at zero or 1 KHzDoppler difference, or peaks resulting from a correlator architectureusing a relatively short dwell time. Smeared peaks can be rejected by anembodiment designated Mechanism 4 here using a peak width metric with athreshold (e.g., set conservative).

In FIG. 31, Mechanism 4 includes process steps that are concisely shown.Surrounding steps of FIG. 16 join FIG. 31 at points (B), (D), (E). Also,the steps of FIG. 31 are suitably included in a more elaborate processlike that of FIG. 35. Microprocessor 370 software controls or supportsthe FIG. 31 process steps as respectively appropriate. In some otherembodiments, a hardware module associated with the correlatorsautomatically implements peak width measurement and has a comparator torepeatedly qualify various peaks as valid or invalid. The process stepsoperate as follows to:

-   -   1) measure the width W, of a given peak using a peak width        metric in a step 3130.    -   2) compare by step 3140 the measured width W_(i) with a        threshold W₀, (e.g., in some cases a very conservative        threshold), or a threshold such as a value selected from the        range three (3) to ten (10) chips or more, and    -   3) if the threshold W₀ is exceeded at step 3140, reject the peak        as an invalid smeared cross correlation peak and reach point        (E).    -   4) Otherwise, execute a step 3150 to record the peak ID with        code-lag, Doppler difference, and Not-Invalid status, whence        point (D) is reached. If step 3140 is “No” (Wi<=Wo), the step        3150 status Not-Invalid signifies the process does not assure        that the peak is a valid peak. If Wi>Wo, (Yes in step 3140), the        process does assure that the peak is Invalid—not a valid peak.

In step 1 (3130) above, any suitable peak width metric is used. One typeof peak width metric expresses a peak width as a range of code lags forwhich the received amplitudes are all above a specified threshold calleda width floor herein. The width floor is set, for instance, at anappropriately low-enough Level L as in FIGS. 28A and 29A so thatscanning across code lags in FIG. 28A or FIG. 29A will detect anyexistent substantial width but not such a low level as to be affected bynoise. Level L is different from an electronic filter 3 db point in thatLevel L is heuristically established to be such that the width of thepart of the peak that is above Level L is equal to the smearing timet_(sm).

The smeared peak attenuation A is summarized by Equation (39):

$\begin{matrix}{A = \begin{matrix}{1 - {{t_{sm}/4}t_{chip}}} & {{{{when}\mspace{14mu} t_{sm}} \leq {2t_{chip}}},} \\{t_{chip}/t_{sm}} & {{{when}\mspace{14mu} t_{sm}} \geq {2{t_{chip}.}}}\end{matrix}} & (39)\end{matrix}$t _(sm) /t _(chip)=[(f2−f1)/(1.575e9 Hz)]*(dwell_time)*1.023e6  (29)

Implementation of the peak width metric for Step 1 of Mechanism 4 thenestablishes the width-floor as if the peak were a cross correlationpeak. The electronic computation of the peak width metric uses themeasured high power signal from SV2 cross correlated with the Gold codefor SV1 being searched or tracked, and then discounted down to theAttenuation A by a computation substantially along the lines of belowEquation (43) using Equations (39) and (29). An experience adjustmentvalue such as a margin m with expected adder value varied from zero (ora factor k varied from 1.0 as a multiplier) is included in caseexperimental testing provides any useful empirical adjustment.Width Floor=Power(SV2)+20*log 10(V/1023)+20*log 10(A)−3 db+m  (43)

Another version of Mechanism 4 uses Level L from FIGS. 28A and 29A. Thequantitative derivation of Level L is based on point sets 2850 and 2950and is analogous to and differently supplements the derivation given forAttenuation. (Note that Attenuation derivation was based on point sets2860 and 2960 instead.) Level L is heuristically expressed by analogywith Equation (39), and is combined with smearing time equation (29), asfollows:

$\begin{matrix}{L = \begin{matrix}\left( {1 - {{t_{sm}/2}t_{chip}}} \right) & {{{{when}\mspace{14mu}{t_{sm}/t_{chip}}} \leq 1},} \\{{t_{chip}/2}t_{sm}} & {{{when}\mspace{14mu}{t_{sm}/t_{chip}}} \geq 1.}\end{matrix}} & (44)\end{matrix}$

Implementation of the peak width metric for Step 1 of Mechanism 4 thenestablishes the width-floor as if the peak were a cross correlationpeak. The electronic computation of the peak width metric uses themeasured high power signal from SV2 cross correlated with the Gold codefor SV1 being searched or tracked, and then discounted down to the LevelL by a computation substantially along the lines of below Equation (45A)or (45B) using smearing time Equation (29). An experience adjustmentvalue such as a margin m with expected adder value varied from zero (ora factor k varied from 1.0 as a multiplier) is included in caseexperimental testing provides any useful empirical adjustment.Width Floor=Power(SV2)+20*log 10(V/1023)+20*log 10(L)+m  (45A)

In multiplicative product form, and by analogy with Equation (12),Equation (45B) is given as:Width Floor=A ₂ *[V(φ,f2−f1)/1023]*L*k  (45B)

The Mechanism 4 then scans across the correlator output as a function ofcode lag and rejects any widened peaks that have a width that issufficiently wide as determined by step 2 of Mechanism 4 to justifyrejecting the peak as a smeared cross-correlation peak.

Another embodiment is called a Long Coherent Integration Mechanismherein. Before describing FIG. 32 process steps, some discussion ofprinciples is provided. The null-null bandwidth of a correlation peakresulting from coherent integration becomes successively smaller from100 Hz (+/−50 Hz in 20 ms coherent integration) to 50 Hz (+/−25 Hz in 40ms integration) to 25 Hz (+/−12.5 Hz in 80 ms integration). Accordingly,Long Coherent Integration provides further protection against detectionof cross correlation peaks because the Doppler difference has to be evencloser to a multiple of 1 Khz to cause cross correlation peaks. Unlessthe Doppler difference is within the null-null bandwidth to a multipleof 1 kHz, the height of the cross correlation peak is negligible forpresent purposes. Accordingly, this Long Coherent Integration Mechanismis included in some forms of step 615 of FIG. 16 and step 2615 of FIG.24, for instance.

To summarize, long coherent integration can also be used for close tozero Doppler difference. For example with 80 ms long coherentintegration, the Dopplers have to be even closer by 12.5 Hz for thehigher power SV to affect the low power SV's tracking

Note that FIG. 32 describes Long Integration whereas the above paragraphdescribes Long Coherent integration. These two are different.

Due to different propagation delays for different SVs, bit edge locationof SVs are random in nature relative to the clock edge of the receiverand relative to each other. Recall that each bit is +1 or −1 multipliedby and impressed on each 1 ms long 1023 chip PN code. As in FIG. 3A, afirst bit A is repeatedly impressed on twenty consecutive 1 ms longinstances of the PN code, followed by a second bit B that is alsorepeatedly impressed on twenty consecutive 1 ms long instances of the PNcode. A “bit edge” refers to the end of the 20th PN code impressed withbit A or to the beginning of the first succeeding PN code impressed withbit B. Because of the varying positions of the SVs in the sky the timeof arrival of each signal varies, and so bit edge location or a time ofdifferent SVs is random relative to one another.

A low-power SV signal, if present, will have a random 1-ms bit edgeoffset relative to a high power SV signal. The Long Coherent IntegrationMechanism recognizes that each SV will have a random 1 ms bit edge andSVs will have random data bits or bit edges in FIG. 3A relative to otheras well as each SV having its SV-specific pseudorandom PN Gold code.This offers some additional protection inherently in tracking. Since thedata bits A, B, etc. could be either +1 or −1, coherently integrating aGold code for more than 20 milliseconds after a bit edge would notnecessarily increase signal to noise ratio. However, data bits may beknown for a low power SV1, or a 20 ms coherent integration may be ableto be demodulated to a determine a given bit A, B, etc. Then thereceiver is operated to appropriately multiply +/−1 times the modulatedPN code for SV1, whereby a longer length exceeding 20 ms of SV1 PN codeis available for coherent integration. This is called bit-removal, andcoherent integration over the longer length is called Long CoherentIntegration With Bit-removal.

Note also that coherently integrating a Gold code for 20 milliseconds ormore that is unsynchronized with a bit edge does not increase signal tonoise ratio or if it does, then not as fast as coherently integratingsynchronized with a bit edge. Doing Long coherent integration (40 ms or80 ms) with bit-removal offers better cross correlation rejection sincethe high powered SV will have random bits. In other words, the Longcoherent integration (40 ms or 80 ms) using the SV1 PN code withbit-removal enhances the SV1 peak because it is long and synchronizedwith the bit edge for each SV1 bit. But the cross correlation of the SV1PN code with a high power SV2 PN code over the Long coherent integrationfails to correspondingly accumulate the cross correlation peaks verymuch because the SV2 Gold code riding on the SV2 signal isunsynchronized with the SV1 bit edges. This lack of synchronization iscalled random bit edge here and it interferes with the accumulation thatcould otherwise occur to produce substantial cross correlation peaks.Accordingly, the valid peak is enhanced as a result of the Long CoherentIntegration With Bit-Removal relative to the cross correlation peaks,and this means enhanced cross correlation rejection. Random bit edge isan in-built scheme in, or property of, the satellite system itself thatis useful, used and leveraged here for constructing Mechanisms forbetter cross correlation rejection. Indeed, random bit edge is helpfulhere even for coherent integration having a duration over one repeatedbit (e.g., 20 ms integration) as already discussed herein in connectionwith FIGS. 3A-3C.

When long coherent integration is used, of say 80 ms for SV1, thenirrespective of the relative bit edge of SV2 there will still be a goodrejection of cross correlation from SV2 since the SV2 data bits itselfwill not be same as SV1 data bits. Hence the cross correlation peakswill destructively add. So random bit edge is different from randombits.

In FIG. 32, one form of Mechanism 5 Cross Correlation Protection forTracking operates as follows. While tracking a low powered peak in thepresence of high powered SVs with non-zero Doppler difference, potentialcross correlation peaks can come from either the left or right of thevalid low powered peak and move near and swamp the valid low poweredpeak. The low powered peak, of course, is desirable to acquire andidentify as valid. At such “swamped” times, a Mechanism 5 embodimentdeselects a correlator output signal representing the low powered peakso that swamped peak is not used for positioning. This swamped conditionis likely to be temporary and Mechanism 5 resumes or begins positioningoperations using the lower powered SV1 peak when that peak is no longerswamped.

Periodically in the Tracking section of FIG. 5, e.g., every second,Mechanism 5 computes the cross correlation coefficients around thecurrently-hypothesized low power peak as in FIG. 24 from the one or moreexisting high powered SV's. It uses the dedicated cross-correlationmitigation hardware Xcorr 400 such as in FIG. 20 for computing severalcross correlation coefficients. The DLL (Delay Lock Loop) bandwidth isreduced appropriately to smear out the cross correlation peaks. ReducingDLL bandwidth is equivalent to increasing integration time. A CarrierAided DLL can be used here since the DLL bandwidth can be reducedwithout sacrificing tracking of user dynamics.

The peak location information from the DLL is then temporarily not usedby the Position Engine if cross correlation peaks are of high enoughlevel, since that is equivalent to increasing the uncertainty of themeasurement. Once the cross correlation peaks move away from the mainpeak for a given low power SVi, the measurements from that SVi can beused for positioning, i.e., their use can resume. In general, thecomputed cross correlation coefficients can be used to calculate theuncertainty (measurement noise) of any measurement.

In FIG. 32 another form of Mechanism 5 Cross Correlation Protectionembodiment has electronic operations as follows. Operations commencewith a BEGIN that follows pre-qualification for integer KHz Dopplerdifference such as in FIG. 17 or 18. Then a step 3205 determines whethera low powered SVi is being tracked. If not, other operations acquire oneor more SV's in a step 3210. Then a step 3215 measures a lower powerfound-peak amplitude M1 (db) for subsequent comparison at step 3240. Astep 3220 continues to track the peak for SVi. Operations loop back tostep 3205 and since SVi is being tracked (Yes), operations proceed to astep 3225 to verify that a non-zero integer-KHz Doppler difference isinvolved. If not, operations go to a Zero Doppler-difference process(e.g., see FIG. 23). If non-zero integer-KHz Doppler difference (Yes) instep 3225, operations proceed to a following series of steps.

In step 3230 a DLL (Delay Lock Loop) in FIG. 5 is operated with itsbandwidth reduced appropriately to smear out the cross correlation peaksdue to satellite pairs such as SV1 and SV2. Long integration can be usedto more reliably track the low power peak in the presence of crosscorrelation peaks from the higher power SV's. Long integration isequivalent to smaller tracking bandwidth. Reducing DLL bandwidth isequivalent to increasing integration time, i.e., the dwell time inEquation (6B), so smearing time t_(sm) is increased. A Carrier Aided DLLis suitably used here since the DLL bandwidth can be reduced withoutsacrificing tracking of user dynamics.

A succeeding step 3235 again measures the satellite SV1 signal beingtracked and measured value of the signal is designated M2. A thresholdvalue T is generated based on the earlier measured SV1 peak M1 adjustedfor difference between the integration dwell time in acquisition step3210 and the integration dwell time used in tracking in step 3230. Theadjustment increases a first strength value M1 for the peak from thefirst integration period Dwell1 relative to a second strength value M2for the peak in the second integration period Dwell2 by increasing thefirst strength value M1 or decreasing the second strength value M2 oradjusting some function such as the ratio M2/M1 of the first and secondstrength values. The adjustment is suitably such as to equalize thestrengths for a valid peak in the two different length integrationperiods such by applying an adjustment amount in db of approximately10*log₁₀(Dwell2/Dwell1). Remarkably, if little cross correlation ispresent, the intensity values are more nearly equalized, but ifsignificant cross correlation interferes, the values are made moredisparate, which improves the comparison process.

In general, signal powers can vary with time. This may be an issue withcomparing signal strengths from two different integration periods.Accordingly, step 3235 and a step 3240 in some embodiments are refinedto cooperate for measurement, adjustment and comparison, such as to alsocheck another pair of integration periods and/or combine operations withXcorr 400 of FIG. 20 or otherwise recognize and detect or compensate therole of varying signal powers.

In FIG. 32, a decision step 3240 compares the magnitude of differenceABS(M2−T) to determine whether that magnitude is greater than acomparison value ε2. If so (Yes in step 3240), then a step 3245 recordsan entry for the SV1 peak specifying that it is Temporarily Invalid(Swamped), and a step 3250 deselects SV1 positioning information orotherwise rejects the peak and temporarily prevents its use byPositioning Engine 2270 (FIG. 38). This step is determining whether thestrength of the peak effectively differs substantially in the differentintegration periods.

If No in step 3240 instead, then a step 3255 records an entry for theSV1 peak specifying that it is Valid, and a step 3260 contributes SV1positioning information for use, or resumes its use, by PositioningEngine 2270. After either of steps 3250 and 3260 operations loop back toexecute step 3205 and the subsequent steps to continually or repeatedlyprovide cross correlation protection for tracking of each of the lowpower satellites like SV1. If GPS is turned off in a step 3270, a branchis taken from the loop to END 3295.

In general, the operations of FIG. 32 compare the SV1 peak with itselfusing different integration periods for cross correlation protection fortracking. In the absence of significant cross correlation, the SV1 peakshould be about the same either way provided that some db of SV1 signaladjustment is taken into account due to the different integration times.However, if the tracking DLL accumulates the SV1 peak plus significantoverlapping cross correlation into the result M2, then M2 exceeds theexpected amount T due to SV1 alone and breaks the expected substantialequality in step 3240. Or if the tracking DLL locks onto some low powercross correlation lobe and loses the SV1 peak itself, then accumulatedresult M2 is substantially less than the amount T expected from SV1.Either way, operations at step 3240 (Yes) go to step 3245 because of theinvalid condition.

In FIG. 33, some embodiments according to a Mechanism 6 herein omit theDLL and compute the displacement or closeness value of the position ofthe nearest cross correlation peak to the possible-SV1 peak in question.Suppose the position of the nearest strong cross correlation peak isless than a threshold equal to a predetermined time displacement fromthe hypothesized peak for satellite SV1. Then relative motion of highpower SV2 and lower power SV1 relative to each other and the receiver100 could cause smearing migration of the strong cross correlation peakacross a valid lower power SV1 peak during the dwell time and corruptsuch a valid lower power SV1 peak. In FIG. 33, an embodiment preventsthe use of the position of the possible-SV1 peak for positioningpurposes if the closeness of the position of the nearest crosscorrelation peak is less than a threshold equal to a predetermined timedisplacement from SV1. The threshold with some forms is staticallypredetermined and configured, and other forms is dynamically estimatedfrom already-acquired information about the SV2 signal such as byapplying smearing time Equation (29) that relates t_(sm) to Dopplerdifference f2−f1.

In FIG. 33, operations commence with BEGIN 3305 and proceed to adecision step 3310 and determines whether a low powered satellite SV1signal is being tracked. If not, operations at steps 3315 and 3320perform acquisition and loop back to step 3310 whence a low poweredsatellite SV1 signal is tracked, and go to a Doppler difference decisionstep 3325. Notice that zero or non-zero integer KHz Doppler differencecan have the cross-correlation problem and be beneficially checked byMechanism 6 of FIG. 33. As an example, let initial Doppler difference be500 Hz and with time the Doppler difference comes close to 0 Hz. Thenimmediately cross correlation peaks will start or become more likely tostart swamping the low power peak. So it is good to do these checks evenfor zero Doppler. And the checks are desirably done for every high powerSV with integer (0, 1, 2, etc.) Khz Doppler difference. If theDoppler-difference is non-integer KHz, operations bypass the test ofFIG. 33 and regard the peak as ready for further testing (not-invalid)or simply accept the peak as valid and record it at a step 3360. If theDoppler difference is integer KHz (Yes) operations pass from step 3325to a step 3330 that provides or measures the hypothesized peak code lagc₁, see FIGS. 6 and 8.

After step 3330, software step 3335 calls cross-correlation mitigationhardware Xcorr 400, which electronically computes cross correlationpositions of peaks t3, t4, t7 etc. of FIG. 8 or FIG. 26 around thehypothesized peak position due to one or more high-powered SVs. Thesepeaks are ones that are determined to exceed a strength threshold atwhich they can interfere with the hypothesized peak, or are otherwiseidentified as significant. Then a step 3340 finds the positiondifference Δt of the highest cross correlation peak among theelectronically computed values t3, t4, t7 etc. etc. compared tohypothesized peak position t1, or the position difference of the crosscorrelation peak that exceeds a predetermined level and is nearest (hasminimum displacement MIN) to the hypothesized peak position t1, orotherwise performs a calculation that supports this Mechanism. Asucceeding decision step 3345 determines whether the cross correlationpeak is close enough to interfere with the hypothesized peak during thedwell time, such as by comparing a closeness value of positiondifference Δt with a position difference threshold parameter ε3. Ifposition difference Δt is less than the position difference thresholdparameter ε3 (Yes at step 3345), then a step 3350 records that thehypothesized search peak or tracked SV1 peak is invalid or swamped, anda step 3355 ignores the hypothesized search peak for positioningpurposes or prevents or deselects a tracked SV1 peak from positioninguse.

On the other hand, if step 3345 determines (No) that the positiondifference Δt is not less than the position difference thresholdparameter ε3, then a step 3360 maintains a record that the hypothesizedpeak is valid or not-invalid, or that the SV1 peak is currently validfor tracking purposes. After either of steps 3355 and 3365, operationsloop back through decision step 3370 to step 3310 unless tracking isturned off whence operations reach RETURN 3375.

In FIG. 34, a Tracking Performance embodiment designated Mechanism 7recognizes that an undesirable condition can occur that involves DLLlocking onto cross correlation peaks. Mechanism 7 solves the problem ofsuch locking by computing the actual cross correlation power withrespect to high power SV2 and cross checking it against its DLL peak.The cross checking ensures that the cross correlation peaks are not usedin positioning. A process version of this Mechanism 7 embodimentcommences with a BEGIN 3405 and proceeds to the following:

-   -   1) Monitor in a step 3410 for DLL locking onto a low power peak,        and if such DLL locking occurs go to Step (2) next.    -   2) Electronically compute the cross correlation Xcc using        cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400, by a step 3420.    -   3) Cross check against the DLL peak by taking the ratio (or        magnitude of dB difference) of DLL peak power M3 to high power        SV2 peak power and compare to computed Xcc using a threshold        determination, in a decision step 3430.    -   4) If the threshold is not exceeded (Yes) in step 3430,        indicating the DLL peak is about as strong as expected of        cross-correlation power or less than that, then a step 3435        issues a Not-Valid signal.    -   5) Operate the Position Engine in a step 3440 in response to the        Not-Valid signal active, so that such a cross-correlation peak        is not used by the Position Engine 2270 (FIG. 38) in        positioning. A step 3445 unlocks the DLL from the peak and loops        back to step 3410 unless a decision step 3470 intervenes and        goes to END 3475. FIG. 34 can be regarded and implemented as a        H/W or S/W state machine. If the state machine decides that it        is a cross correlation peak, then the state machine should go        back to acquisition for this SV and lock onto a new peak at step        3410.    -   6) If the threshold in step 3430 is exceeded (Not less=No), then        operations branch to a step 3450 to record the peak        identification as Possible-Valid, along with its Doppler and        code lag. A step 3455 performs any further validity checking        (compare FIG. 35). If the peak turns out to be invalid,        operations proceed to step 3435 in FIG. 34 and perform step (5)        above. If the further validity checking instead also finds the        signal is not-invalid, operations go to step 3460 and employ the        peak identification and code lag information in Position Engine        2270 for computing the position of the receiver 100 and        performing various position-based applications.

The decision criterion of step 3430 can be expressed as follows inEquation (46), wherein cross correlation Xcc is V(k, f2−f1)/1023 from aversion of cross-correlation mitigation hardware Xcorr 400 describedearlier above. Equation (46) is in linear scale and is subtracting inlinear scale. If Equation (46) is expressed in dB, then Xcc in dB isgiven by Xcc=20*log 10(V(k, f2−f1)/1023). See subsequent equations.M3/SV2−Xcc<ε4  (46)

The decision criterion can have variants that also accomplish the crosscheck by multiplying through by the amplitude of SV2. (For economy ofsymbolism and recognizing the abuse of notation, “A(SV2)” for amplitudeof SV2 is represented merely by “SV2” in FIG. 34 step 3430 and where“SV2” is used in some of the Equations (46)-(52B).) Cross-checking byany software, firmware or hardware implementation of algebraiccross-checking, tabular cross-checking, or other cross-checking iscontemplated. Various equations are provided next to facilitatepreparation of embodiments by the skilled worker based on experimentallydetermined margin quantities for any of the embodiments.M3−SV2*Xcc<SV2*ε4  (47)

Recall from earlier hereinabove the decision criterion that low powerpeak is compared with a threshold from Equation (12) and is expressed byEquation (48) where threshold T is the product of the amplitude of thehigh power interfering satellite SV2 times the cross correlation times amargin factor.T=SV2*Xcc*m  (48)

Since the decision criterion for FIG. 16 was used for determining if apeak were not due to cross correlation and the decision criterion hereis for determining if a peak is consistent with cross correlation, thenthe analogous inequality here is:M3<T, or M3−T<0  (49A)M3−SV2*Xcc*m<0  (49B)M3−SV2*Xcc<SV2*Xcc*(m−1)  (49C)M3/SV2−Xcc<Xcc*(m−1)  (49D)

Comparing Equations (46) and (49D) shows that multiplicative margin mfrom earlier hereinabove and the threshold ε4 are related to each otheras in Equations (50A) and (50B).ε4=Xcc*(m−1)  (50A)m=1+ε4/Xcc  (50B)

Another cross-checking form of the decision criterion for step 3430generates a ratio:((M3/SV2)/Xcc)<m  (51)

Still another variant of the decision criterion for step 3430 applies amonotonic function like the logarithm:Log((M3/SV2)/Xcc)<log(1+ε4/Xcc)  (52A)

In terms of db and db of margin M Equation (52A) is expressed as:20(Log₁₀(M3)−(Log₁₀(SV2)+Log₁₀(Xcc)))<M  (52B)whereM=20*log₁₀(1+ε4/Xcc)  (52C)

To summarize, the checks above are different variants. One variant issame as or related to the check in steps 635, 640 in FIG. 16 or steps2680, 2640 in FIG. 24.

Even if the cross correlation peaks are smaller than the main peak (theywould not swamp) they can smear the main low power SV1 peak and couldcontribute cross correlation PN code noise that might affect thelocation information computable by the Position Engine 2270 (FIG. 38)from the peak. Accordingly, it is desirable to use the main low powerSV1 peak when the expected cross correlation power Log(SV2*Xcc) is lowerthan the main peak power M3 by a suitable margin M. Multipath peaks canalso smear a main peak, and use of a suitable Mechanism herein to rejectsmeared peaks due to cross correlation may also be useful to rejectsmeared peaks due to undesired multipath propagation. Using higherbandwidth of the input signal (using as many side-lobes of GPS frequencyspectrum as possible) and using a narrow correlator spacing (highcorrelator resolution) helps resolve main lower power SV1 peak locationbetter in the presence of smaller cross correlation peaks. For instance,using many side lobes in reception allows a more precise recovery of therectangular pulse waveform of the Gold code in the time domain riding onan SV signal, and this leads to narrower, more precisely defined peaksin the correlator output resulting from correlating across the chips ofthe Gold code.

A category of process embodiments described in connection with FIGS. 14,15, 16 and/or 32, 33, 34 for some examples, is summarized as a satellitetracking process for a lower power satellite signal in the presence ofat least one higher power satellite signal wherein Dopplers of thesatellite signals change with time. The tracking process involvestracking a correlation peak having a position for the lower powersignal, evaluating a difference between the Dopplers over time; and

detecting when the evaluated difference between the Dopplers comes closeto an integer KHz amount. If the evaluated difference comes close, thenthe process estimates cross-correlation between the signals at theposition of the peak, compares the peak with the estimatedcross-correlation, and validates or invalidates the peak depending onthe comparison. The foregoing tracking process is repeatedly performedto update the validating and invalidating over time so that the valid orinvalid status changes to suit the situation over time as FIG. 14 and/orFIG. 15.

SV powers change with time, not only just Dopplers. So an SV which isvery high power currently will not be affected by cross correlation butwith time due to changing scenario, the power could become small andhence susceptible for cross correlation analysis.

In FIG. 35, plural Mechanisms are applied depending on zero or non-zeroDoppler difference to combine cross-correlation mitigation mechanisms.That way, an even more stringent sifting of peaks is provided forincreased confidence of detection of a valid peak. Operations enterthrough a flow point (B) and a step 3510 executes Mechanism 1. Then adecision step 3515 determines whether Mechanism 1 found a not-invalidpeak. If so (Yes), doublechecking operations proceed to a step 3520 andexecute Mechanism 2. A further decision step 3525 determines whetherMechanism 2 found that the peak was not-invalid under its distinctcriteria. This amounts to evaluating a logic AND decision function fordetermining validity of a peak in question. If so (Yes), the embodimentconcludes that the peak is valid, and a step 3550 identifies the validpeak by table entry for its satellite SVi and there specifies itsDoppler f1 and its code phase c₁, whereupon flow point (D) is reached.Other Mechanisms 3530, etc., as described herein are included betweensteps 3525 and 3550 as desired.

Mechanism 1 is recommended to be done for zero Doppler difference, andindeed for all integer Doppler difference scenarios. Inside a givenMechanism of FIG. 35, special checks and bypassing for zero or non-zeroDoppler difference are included where applicable.

On the other hand if any of the decision steps 3515, 3525, 3535,determine that the peak is invalid (No), then operations branch from anyof them to a step 3580 and either make a peak identification entry ofInvalid, or simply omit to make a Valid Entry, and proceed through flowpoint (E). FIG. 16 shows surrounding steps that are implicit in FIG. 35and join to flow points (B), (D), (E).

Various embodiments are provided and their optimizations and whichexecute the Mechanisms timewise in parallel, and then logically combinetheir results, such as by ANDing validities and ORing invalidities asdecision functions for increased confidence in evaluating peaks. Someembodiments bypass or default an output of a Mechanism if itsprobability of error is too high. Cross correlations with a given SV1low power peak from multiple interfering satellites are suitablycombined as taught herein when any multiple instances of integer Dopplerdifference (0, +/−1, +/−2, . . . ) occur. If one high power SV2 has zeroDoppler difference f2−f1=0 with a Doppler f1 of the low power peak, andanother high power SV has non-zero integer KHz Doppler difference, thenmultiple Mechanisms are suitably activated and combined. Note furtherthat using a decision function provides intelligent implementation ofMechanisms taking account of Type 1 errors (falsely determining that apeak in question is valid when it is invalid) and Type 2 errors (falselydetermining that a peak received from an actual satellite is invalid).Type 1 errors are desirably kept rare since they have a larger impact onthe position error.

Cross correlation mitigation as taught herein intelligently solves whatis here believed to be the most important problem in false locking of areceiver. Other kinds of false locks are frequency side lobe locking andauto-correlation side lobe locking Frequency side lobe locking issuitably avoided by searching the full Doppler space and ensuring thatthere is no strong main lobe anywhere else. Auto correlation side lobelocking is suitably prevented by the receiver searching the full codespace (1-ms) to detect the stronger main peak.

Testing and detectability of the Mechanisms are quite easy andconvenient. The position and satellite measurements reported by apositioning receiver directly reflect the usage of this technique. Anyparticular receiver scenario is created easily in the lab using standardGPS equipment like Spirent simulator STR6560 or SimGen or otherwise.

Test 1: Create a Scenario using multiple known simulated or actual SVsignals where the doppler differences are exact multiples of Khz. Themeasurement report lists or contains all the SVs used for positioning.Test 1 changes the actual code phase differences between two or more ofthe SVs and, also by each given code phase difference in FIG. 10, listsany particular SVs that the receiver accepts as valid for positioningpurposes. If the particular SVs that the receiver accepts or uses forpositioning change based on their actual code-phase difference, usage ofMechanism 1 is inferred and detected. Or, if Mechanism 1 itself it isprovided and is being tested, that result indicates that Mechanism 1 isoperative and passes Test 1.

Test 1A: Create different scenarios with zero Doppler difference butvarying code-phase difference such that in some scenarios the crosscorrelation peak aligns with the actual peak and in some cases it doesnot. If a receiver uses that particular SV for positioning based on theactual code-phase difference it implies that it is computing the actualcross correlation coefficient and based on that it decides to either useit for positioning or not.

Test 2: Create different scenarios with zero Doppler difference butvarious values for code-phase difference, such that in some scenariosthe cross correlation peak aligns with the actual peak and in some casesit is away by half a chip. If a receiver uses that particular SV forpositioning based on whether separation is integer chips away or not, itimplies that Mechanism 3 is present, or that a known-existing Mechanism3 is operational and passes Test 2.

Detectability and testing these Mechanisms is quite convenient. Theposition and satellite measurements reported by a receiver will directlyreflect operation or usage. Any particular receiver scenario can becreated easily in the lab using standard GPS equipment like SimGen. Astepwise testing or detection version of the Test 1 process involves aprocedure as follows.

-   -   1) Establish a set of actual or simulated SV signals to create a        Scenario in which the Doppler differences are exact multiples of        Khz.    -   2) Generate a receiver measurement report that contains all the        SVs used for positioning.    -   3) If SVs used for positioning change based on their actual        code-phase difference, successful operation or usage of a        Mechanism is inferred. Put another way, if the receiver uses a        particular SV for positioning based on the actual code-phase        difference, then the test implies that the receiver is computing        the actual cross correlation coefficient and based on that        actual cross correlation coefficient, the receiver decides to        either use the SV for positioning or not.    -   4) Repeat the test and establish a set of actual or simulated SV        signals to create Scenario(s) with zero Doppler difference but        varying code-phase difference such that in some scenarios the        cross correlation peak aligns with the actual peak and in some        cases it does not.    -   5) Electronically evaluate the tests corresponding to the        different Scenarios and establish whether any given test is        passed or a sufficient number of the tests are passed for        purposes of acceptable receiver operation in manufacture.        Alternatively, use a specified evaluation criterion pertaining        to the test passing on any one Scenario for purposes of        determining whether any given Mechanism is operational.

Turning to FIGS. 36 and 38, some cross correlation-resistant embodimentsof the already-described Figures herein include power saving modecontrol above 0.1 Hertz in FIG. 38 with power save operations that alsooccur substantially below 0.1 Hertz such as supported in FIG. 36(sleep/wake either periodically or on-demand or otherwisenon-deterministically) wherein the satellite receiver is asleep forsubstantial periods of time and time keeping is performed by a cellularengine at least when the satellite receiver is asleep. Then the cellularengine provides correct time keyed to a TIMESTAMP strobe as in FIG. 36when the satellite receiver wakes up, so that the satellite receiverthen operates with a shorter time to first position fix (TTFF). For moredescription of the latter subject, see the published patent application20090054075, US patent application TI-38194 “Satellite (GPS) AssistedClock Apparatus, Circuits, Systems and Processes for Cellular Terminalson Asynchronous Networks,” Ser. No. 11/844,006, filed Aug. 3, 2007,which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. In FIGS.36 and 38, an embodiment is improved over, and is combined with, thepower-pulsing technology of incorporated U.S. patent application“Power-Saving Receiver Circuits, Systems and Processes” Ser. No.12/244,060 (TI-65435), filed Oct. 2, 2008 and said Ser. No. 11/844,006incorporated US patent application (TI-38194) according to the teachingsherein.

In FIG. 36, GPS unit 1190 (1495) of FIGS. 36-39 has an antenna 3710 forreception of satellite positioning signals. Antenna 3710 is coupled to abandpass filter 3720 followed by a low noise receiver amplifier LNA 3730followed by another bandpass filter 3740. A GPS RF section 3750 isprovided as an analog or mixed-signal integrated circuit fed frombandpass filter 3740. RF section 3750 in turn supplies signals to adigital GPS baseband decoder 3760 integrated circuit in the GPSreceiver. Integrated circuit 3760 includes a cross-correlation hardwareblock 400 as well as power save mode controller like 2130 (2290) as inFIG. 38. RF section 3750 supplies signal output lines 3755 to the GPSbaseband decoder 3760. Lines for SPI (serial port interface) clock,data, and enable and a further GPS clock line connect receiver 3750 andGPS baseband decoder 3760 and couple power management controls fromdecoder 3760 power save mode controller 2130 to RF section 3750 as shownin FIGS. 1 and 2.

GPS baseband decoder 3760 utilizes an accumulate-and-dump AD satellitepositioning process for supplying GPS information or other satellitepositioning information. GPS baseband decoder 3760 is coupled tointegrated circuit 1100 (or 1400) of FIG. 39 by lines TIMESTAMP 3770 andGPS_IO 3775. Processor integrated circuit 1100 (or 1400) as used fortimekeeping herein is suitably provided as a processor in hardware, orin hardware combined with software or in hardware combined with firmwareassociated with, and/or integrated into, a communications modemincluding digital baseband DBB 1100, analog baseband ABB 1200 and RFtransmitter/receiver TX/RX 1300 of FIG. 39. In FIG. 36, cellularcommunications circuitry acts as a cellular engine CE for processingtime information derived from the cellular communications network.Processor 1100 (or 1400) is coupled by a UART 3780 in interfaces 1180 ofFIG. 39 to control the integrated circuit having GPS baseband decoder3760. In some embodiments, part or all of cross-correlation hardwareblock 400 is situated in processor 1100 (or 1400) as well as, or insteadof, situating it in the GPS baseband decoder 3760.

Accordingly, a data bus 3785 in processor 1100 provides controls anddata as parallel bits to the UART 3780 and these bits are supplied onparticular lines in a set of lines 3790 to control the GPS Engine GE.For example, these lines convey control inputs to GPS baseband decoder3760 including a GPS_SLEEP input, a soft enable/reset GPS_EN_RESET, anda power up enable GPS_PWR_EN. These control lines pertain to theless-than-0.1 Hz. power-save control in GPS baseband decoder 3760combined into an energy efficient time-accurate overall systemembodiment with high-rate coherent power save mode (e.g., FIG. 4C, 5A ofsaid incorporated patent application TI-65435) introduced into GPSbaseband decoder 3760. Further lines to GPS baseband decoder 3760 fromUART 3780 include three I2C interface lines for bi-directional serialcommunication, and two pairs of lines TX1, RX1 and TX2, RX2 forcommunication directed to GPS baseband decoder 3760 on the RX1, RX2lines and for communication to UART 3780 on the TX1, TX2 lines. The I2Cinterface suitably carries power save flags and other power managementinformation from FIG. 38 lines 2295, and carries MPU APP information inFIG. 38, between the CE 1100 (1400) and GE 3760 in FIG. 36 according tothe teachings herein.

In FIG. 36, a first clock 3762 has a frequency illustratively between 10and 100 MHz or higher, that during reception is continually (orselectively) locked to or synchronized with clocks present in cellularbase stations or other network base stations. Between receptions thefirst clock (e.g., 13 MHz) is switched off or is left to run dependingon the operating mode. A second clock 3764 has a lower frequency, e.g.,below 1 MHz. such as at 32 KHz). The second clock 3764 is on andoperative between receptions when the first clock 3762 is turned off forpower saving. Relatively-accurate subsequent global time is determinedand maintained as a sum of products and ratios of time intervals andcounter values representing numbers n of clock beats according to arelation:t _(CT) =t ₀ +[n ₁+(n ₂ /RCP0)+n ₃(X _(RTC) /RCP0]T _(cellular)where

-   t₀ is a first GPS global time at a time-of-arrival cellular signal    (TIMESTAMP),-   t_(CT) is the relatively-accurate subsequent global time from time    projection,-   T_(cellular) is the time interval between time of arrival signals    from a cellular network,-   RCPO is number of first clock 3762 counts in the time interval    T_(cellular),-   X_(RTC) is number of first clock 3762 counts between cycles of    second clock 3764,-   n₁ is a number of received instances of the time interval    T_(cellular),-   n₂ is the number of first clock counts distinct from periods counted    with n₁, and-   n₃ is the number of second clock 3764 periods distinct from periods    counted with n₁ and n₂.

FIG. 37 illustrates an example of chip partitioning for operations in asystem embodiment using the description herein. A first chip 4000 has anASIC block 4010 that implements an RF Front end and BSP front end forthe satellite receiver. A memory area 4020 is situated on-chip andcoupled with ASIC block 4010. A host processor chip 4100 includes amicroprocessor 370 with functional circuitry 4110 for ADRxaccumulate-and-dump ACC/DUMP receiver Rx, as well as a block 4130 forfinal processing and Position Engine. Chip 4100 includes crosscorrelation computation hardware module 400 of FIG. 20. Themicroprocessor MPU 370 in FIG. 37 runs the power save mode controloperations of out of firmware or software; and if the MPU is nototherwise needed, then the MPU is put to sleep to save power. The layoutof FIG. 37 is applied as shown and/or combined with the circuits andmemories for instructions, data and parameters of the other Figures.

FIG. 38 shows a GPS receiver 2200 embodiment including a BSP 2250 havinga Measurement Engine 2260 feeding a Position Engine 2270. PositionEngine 2270 refers to functions of or operations in the Basebandprocessor BSP that are run on a host processor and/or on a dedicatedmicroprocessor and Position Engine 2270 supplies GPS output. MeasurementEngine 2260 is coupled to and fed by a Digital Frontend 2230.Measurement Engine 2260 includes structures, functions or operations ofthe GPS chip such as in FIG. 5. A power-save controller 2290 controls avoltage supply 2280 for five main blocks: RF 2210, IF 2220, DigitalFrontend 2230, PLL 2240 fed by a clock circuit having a temperaturecompensated crystal oscillator TCXO as time base via a power controlledclock slicer 2245, and BSP 2250. Voltage supply 2280 supplies andregulates power voltage to the power gating circuitry (e.g., gating FETsin the supply voltage lines to power managed blocks) controlled byPower-Save Controller 2290. The front end and power management circuitrysupport the other receiver structures and processes detailed in theFigures herein by supplying signals and saving power and energy.

The power-save controller 2290 is connected directly to any of the otherindividual components to turn them on/off directly as shown by aconnection from the power-save controller 2290 to the Measurement Engine2260, for instance. Power connections and/or power controlling enablesare provided as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or otherwise to any appropriateblock or components in each block of FIG. 38, 5 whether or notexplicitly or completely shown in FIG. 38, 5. Power-save controller 2290is coupled by Digital LDO, or otherwise, to the power source in a waythat keeps some or all of power-save controller 2290 operable and activeto deliver power control duty cycles and power control enable anddisable signals to power-controlled blocks of receiver 2200. Forconciseness here, the various numerals and description of FIGS. 38-39parallel the description of corresponding Figures in said incorporatedpatent application TI-65435 and are used in a communications system asdescribed therein.

Embodiments of applications and system blocks disclosed herein aresuitably implemented in fixed, portable, mobile, automotive, seaborne,and airborne, communications, control, set top box, television (receiveror two-way TV), and other apparatus. The personal computer (PC) issuitably implemented in any form factor such as desktop, laptop,palmtop, organizer, mobile phone handset, PDA personal digitalassistant, internet appliance, wearable computer, content player,personal area network, or other type and usable with media such asoptical disk, flash drive, and other media.

Reception of software intercommunication and updating of information isprovided in some embodiments originating sources and the receiver ofFIG. 36-39. Such intercommunication and updating also suitably occur viaany other processor in the mobile device with receiver 100 itself suchas for GPS positioning, cellular modem, WLAN, Bluetooth, a website, orother circuitry for wireless or wireline modem processor, digitaltelevision and physical layer (PHY).

FIG. 39 illustrates integrated circuit chips including chips 1100, 1200,1300, 1400, 1500, and GPS 1190 (1495) for use in any one, some or all ofthe blocks of a communications system. The skilled worker uses andadapts the integrated circuits to the particular parts of thecommunications system as appropriate to the functions intended. Circuitblocks of the cellular telephone handset of FIG. 39 cooperate, support,or cooperatively utilize GPS or assisted GPS in positioning andlocation-based applications and are used with or include the positioningreceiver of FIGS. 2, 5, 36-38 and the other Figures herein.

The receiver hardware has Scan In and Scan Out paths for serial scantestability and verification with a Debugger of FIG. 39. A scan path iscoupled to a JTAG 1149.1 or 1149.7 test access port (TAP) controllercircuit or otherwise in the system embodiment that supports suchtestability, and the TAP controller is coupled to the Debugger at testtime. Other scannable blocks in FIGS. 2, 5, 11, 20, and 36-39 are alsoincluded in the scan chain as desired.

A variety of embodiments are provided for spread-spectrum communicationssystems at base stations, gateways, handsets, and any applicable devicesfor mobile, portable, and/or fixed use. Such systems suitably supportany one or more of global positioning system GPS and otherlocation-determining or positioning systems, cellular voice and data,code division multiple access CDMA, wireless local area network WLAN,industrial, scientific, and medical communications, cordless telephones,and any other spread-spectrum communications systems. A somewhatoverlapping category of embodiments are provided for receivers employingcoherent signal accumulation in spread-spectrum or other types ofcommunications systems.

Various embodiments are used with one or more microprocessors, eachmicroprocessor having a pipeline is selected from the group consistingof 1) reduced instruction set computing (RISC), 2) digital signalprocessing (DSP), 3) complex instruction set computing (CISC), 4)superscalar, 5) skewed pipelines, 6) in-order, 7) out-of-order, 8) verylong instruction word (VLIW), 9) single instruction multiple data(SIMD), 10) multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD), 11) multiple-coreusing any one or more of the foregoing, and 12) microcontrollerpipelines, control peripherals, and other micro-control blocks using anyone or more of the foregoing.

Various embodiments are implemented in any integrated circuitmanufacturing process such as different types of CMOS (complementarymetal oxide semiconductor), SOI (silicon on insulator), SiGe (silicongermanium), organic transistors, and with various types of transistorssuch as single-gate and multiple-gate (MUGFET) field effect transistors,and with single-electron transistors, and other nanoelectronics andother structures. Photonic integrated circuit blocks, components, andinterconnects are also suitably applied in various embodiments.

Various embodiments of integrated circuit systems and processes asdescribed herein are manufactured according to a suitable process ofmanufacturing that prepares RTL (register transfer language) and netlistand/or other integrated design information for a desired embodiment suchas one including, or respectively including, a hardware module 400 oneor more integrated circuits, an accumulate and dump receiver and/orspread spectrum receiver with a power save mode controller as described.Such embodiment is verified in simulation electronically on the RTL andnetlist. Place and route operations are performed to establish thephysical layout of each integrated circuit, and the layout is verified.In this way, the contents and timing of the memory, of the receivers andprocessor hardware and of the GPS decoder are verified. The operationsare verified pertaining to the desired sequences and parallelism ofMechanisms herein and other operations of the communications unit andthe GPS unit as described. Verification evaluation determines whetherthe verification results are currently satisfactory and the verifieddesign of integrated circuit chips with cross-correlation mitigationhardware Xcorr 400 and such other structures as form an embodimentherein is fabricated in a wafer fab and packaged to produce resultingmanufactured integrated circuit(s) First-silicon and production samplesare verified such as by using scan chain and tracing methodology on thehardware until the chips are satisfactory. A printed wiring board (PWB)of a system embodiment uses the integrated circuit(s). Software andparameters as described in the various Figures herein are loaded intoflash or other nonvolatile memory for the system and verified. Thesystem is powered up and cross correlation mitigation is verified onsatellite simulations and with actual satellite reception in the varioussignal power scenarios.

Aspects (See Explanatory Notes at End of this Section)

2A. The receiver claimed in claim 2 wherein said cross correlationcircuit is operable to compare the variable comparison value with astrength of the peak in question according to a decision threshold, toreject or pass the peak.

1A. The receiver claimed in claim 1 wherein the variable comparisonvalue is substantially a value of the cross correlation function itself.

1A1. The receiver claimed in claim 1A wherein said cross correlationcircuit is operable to compare the variable comparison value with avalue of a function of strength of the peak in question relative to thesignal carrying the distinct PN code, to determine whether to reject thepeak as cross correlation.

1B. The receiver claimed in claim 1 wherein said correlator circuit hasmultiple channels and said cross correlation circuit includes acontroller for the correlator circuit and said controller operable toreject and pass peaks for a plurality of the channels based ongenerating a plurality of such variable comparison values.

1C. The receiver claimed in claim 1 further comprising a control circuitcoupled to said correlator circuit and operable when the peak isrejected to actuate said correlator circuit to find another peak.

1D. The receiver claimed in claim 1 further comprising a control circuitcoupled to control said correlator circuit, said control circuitresponsive to said cross correlation circuit.

7A. The receiver claimed in claim 7 further comprising a control circuitcoupled to said correlator circuit and operable to access said crosscorrelation circuit with the value of relative Doppler and the value ofrelative code lag.

6A. The receiver claimed in claim 6 further comprising a control circuitcoupled to control said correlator circuit, said control circuitoperable to initiate and respond to said cross correlation circuit.

1E. The receiver claimed in claim 1 further comprising a front endoperable to receive the signals of different signal strengths andprovide them for correlation by said correlator circuit.

1F. The receiver claimed in claim 1 wherein said correlator circuit isoperable on at least one signal selected from the group consisting of 1)satellite positioning system signals, 2) code division multiple accessCDMA signals, and 3) spread spectrum signals.

11A. The power management process claimed in claim 11 wherein each PNcode has a period and the difference between the Doppler of thehigher-power peak and the associated Doppler is an integer (0, +/−1,+/−2, . . . ) multiple of the reciprocal of the PN code period.

11B. The power management process claimed in claim 11 wherein theelectronically seeking is subject to cross correlation interference andfurther comprising providing a variable comparison value based on theelectronic generation related to the cross correlation as a function ofboth the Doppler difference and the relative code lag, and using thevariable comparison value to reject an invalid cross correlation peakand pass a valid received peak, whereby operating time and overallenergy to deliver a valid received peak are saved.

11C. The power management process claimed in claim 11 further comprisingimposing a duty cycle of activity and inactivity onto the electronicallyseeking, whereby power is saved.

11D. The power management process claimed in claim 11 further comprisingimposing a sleep and wake process onto both the electronically seekingand the selectively executing and preventing, whereby power is saved.

13A. The interference mitigation device claimed in claim 13 wherein saidcorrelator circuit is operable to find a high power peak having a firstpseudo range R_(j) and to find a lower power peak having a second pseudorange R_(i), and wherein said cross correlation detector determineswhether or not the actual difference R_(i)−R_(j) departs from theinteger-rounded value of that difference by more than an amount relatedto the pseudo range estimation error of the second pseudorange R_(i).

13B. The interference mitigation device claimed in claim 13 wherein thehigh power peak has a Doppler shift and the low power peak has a Dopplershift, and said cross correlation detector is operable to prevent theinteger-chips determination if the Doppler shift of the low power peakis more than a predetermined amount different from the Doppler shift inthe high power peak.

13B1. The interference mitigation device claimed in claim 13B whereinthe predetermined amount is about two percent (2%) or less.

13B2. The interference mitigation device claimed in claim 13B whereinthe cross correlation detector is thereby operable to reject azero-relative-Doppler unsmeared cross correlation peak.

17A. The cross correlation interference estimation circuit claimed inclaim 17 wherein said PN code issuing circuit includes a counter and PNcode generators, said counter coupled to time out at least one of saidPN code generators.

17B. The cross correlation interference estimation circuit claimed inclaim 17 further comprising a programmable microprocessor and a memorycoupled to said microprocessor including instructions representingoperations for said microprocessor to communicate with said issuingcircuit and said MAC.

17C. The cross correlation interference estimation circuit claimed inclaim 17 further comprising a bus and a register circuit coupled to saidMAC to enter at least one value representing cross correlation from saidMAC, said second register circuit operable to deliver the at least onevalue representing cross correlation to said bus.

17D. The cross correlation interference estimation circuit claimed inclaim 17 further comprising a first register circuit for enteringcontrols, and a second register circuit coupled to said MAC to enter atleast one value representing cross correlation from said MAC, and aprogrammable microprocessor to communicate the controls to said firstregister circuit and to utilize the least one value representing crosscorrelation from said second register circuit.

23A. The code-division signal processor claimed in claim 23 wherein saidcross correlation detector is operable to reject the given peak as across correlation peak if the strength of the given peak in the firstintegration period effectively differs substantially from its strengthin the second integration period.

24A. The code-division signal processor claimed in claim 24 wherein theadjustment more nearly equalizes the values of strength of the givenpeak from the first and second integration periods in case of littlecross correlation and the same adjustment makes those values moredisparate in case of substantial cross correlation.

23B. The code-division signal processor claimed in claim 23 wherein saidcross correlation detector is pre-qualified by a condition of non-zerointeger KHz Doppler difference.

23C. The code-division signal processor claimed in claim 23 wherein saidcorrelator is operable for received signal tracking and said crosscorrelation detector is operable during the received signal tracking touse the comparison to temporarily deselect the given peak frompositioning in case of significant cross correlation and to resume useof the given peak for positioning in case the cross correlation issubsequently diminished.

23D. The code-division signal processor claimed in claim 23 wherein saidcorrelator circuit is operable to issue plural selectable locally-issuedPN codes for tracking peaks from of each of plural low power sources,and said cross correlation detector is operable to repeatedly do thecomparisons and thereby provide cross correlation protection fortracking of each of plural low power sources over time.

25A. The correlation detector claimed in claim 25 wherein thedetermination includes determining whether at least one of the pluralvalues representing cross correlation both has less than a predeterminedamount of relative code lag compared to the peak and exceeds a strengththreshold compared to the peak.

25A1. The correlation detector claimed in claim 25A wherein said crosscorrelation circuit is operable to prevent the use of the position ofthe received peak for positioning purposes when the determination isthat at least one of the plural values representing cross correlationboth does have less than a predetermined value of relative code lagcompared to the peak and does exceed a strength threshold compared tothe peak.

25A2. The correlation detector claimed in claim 25A wherein the strengththreshold is dynamically determined as a function of the peak relativeto the strength of a higher-power signal from which the crosscorrelation arises.

25B. The correlation detector claimed in claim 25 wherein thedetermination is pre-qualified by a determination whether the relativeDoppler is nonzero integer kHz.

25C. The correlation detector claimed in claim 25 wherein said crosscorrelation circuit is further operable to use the determination tocontribute information or not for a positioning from the received peak.

28A. The cross correlation protection system claimed in claim 28operable to provide an output signal to reject a peak as a crosscorrelation peak or pass the peak as a valid peak depending onevaluation of the decision function.

Notes: Aspects are description paragraphs that might be offered asclaims in patent prosecution. The above dependently-written Aspects haveleading digits and may have internal dependency designations to indicatethe claims or aspects to which they pertain. The leading digits andalphanumerics indicate the position in the ordering of claims at whichthey might be situated if offered as claims in prosecution.

A few preferred embodiments have been described in detail hereinabove.It is to be understood that the scope of the invention comprehendsembodiments different from those described, as well as describedembodiments, yet within the inventive scope. Microprocessor andmicrocomputer are synonymous herein. Processing circuitry comprehendsdigital, analog and mixed signal (digital/analog) integrated circuits,ASIC circuits, PALs, PLAs, decoders, memories, non-software basedprocessors, microcontrollers and other circuitry, and digital computersincluding microprocessors and microcomputers of any architecture, orcombinations thereof. Internal and external couplings and connectionscan be ohmic, capacitive, inductive, photonic, and direct or indirectvia intervening circuits or otherwise as desirable. Implementation iscontemplated in discrete components or fully integrated circuits in anymaterials family and combinations thereof. Various embodiments of theinvention employ hardware, software or firmware. Process diagrams andblock diagrams herein are representative of flows and/or structures foroperations of any embodiments whether of hardware, software, orfirmware, and processes of manufacture thereof.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not to be construed in a limitingsense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrativeembodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention may be made.The terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variantsthereof are used in the detailed description and/or the claims to denotenon-exhaustive inclusion in a manner similar to the term “comprising”.It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims and theirequivalents cover any such embodiments, modifications, and embodimentsas fall within the true scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A receiver for signals of different signalstrengths and modulated with respective pseudorandom noise (PN) codes,the receiver comprising: a correlator circuit operable to correlate thesignals with a selectable locally-issued PN code having a Doppler and acode lag to produce a power peak, the correlator circuit being subjectto cross correlation with a distinct PN code carried by least one of thesignals that can produce cross correlation; and cross correlationcircuitry including: i. processor circuitry having first outputs forDoppler difference between two received signals, second outputs for codephase difference between the two received signals, and an input for avariable comparison value; ii. cross correlation mitigation circuitryhaving inputs for the Doppler difference between two received signalscoupled to the first outputs of the processor circuitry, inputs for thecode phase difference between the two received signals coupled to thesecond outputs of the processor circuitry, and an output for thevariable comparison value coupled to the input of the processorcircuitry, the mitigation circuitry generating the variable comparisonvalue related to the cross correlation as a function of valuesrepresenting the Doppler difference and the code lag difference betweenthe locally-issued PN code and the distinct PN code; and iii. theprocessor circuitry using the variable comparison value to reject apower peak as invalid from cross correlation if the peak does not exceedthe variable comparison value or to pass a power peak as a validreceived peak if the peak exceeds the variable comparison value.
 2. Thereceiver claimed in claim 1 wherein the variable comparison value issubstantially generated by said cross correlation circuitry as a furtherfunction of both the cross correlation function and a measurement of thestrength of the signal carrying the distinct PN code.
 3. The receiverclaimed in claim 1 wherein said cross correlation circuitry is operableto provide plural values representing cross correlation by using one ormore offsets from the code lag difference.
 4. The receiver claimed inclaim 3 wherein the variable comparison value is provided according to acombining function of at least some of the plural values representingcross correlation.
 5. The receiver claimed in claim 1 wherein said crosscorrelation circuitry includes a hardware circuit to generate a crosscorrelation value according to the function, and the receiver furthercomprises a programmable microprocessor circuit coupled to configuresaid hardware circuit and to generate the variable comparison valuebased on the cross correlation value from said hardware circuit.
 6. Thereceiver claimed in claim 1 wherein said correlator circuit iscontrollably operable to find a higher-power peak and its code lag andDoppler using a locally-issued form of the distinct PN code and to findthe peak in question using the selectable locally-issued PN code havingits associated code lag and associated Doppler.
 7. The receiver claimedin claim 6 wherein said cross correlation circuitry is accessible inresponse to a value of relative Doppler representing the difference ofthe Doppler of the higher-power peak and the associated Doppler and witha value of relative code lag representing the difference of the code lagof the higher-power peak and the associated code lag.
 8. The receiverclaimed in claim 6 wherein said cross correlation circuitry is operableto electronically compute cross correlations from plural higher powerpeaks earlier-identified with different distinct locally-issued PN codesand the plural higher power peaks having different code lags and Dopplershifts, each such cross correlation computed as a function of respectivevalues representing a respective Doppler difference and a respectivecode lag difference between the locally-issued PN code and the distinctPN code for a respective one of the plural higher power peaks, and thereceiver further comprises a circuit operable to combine the computedcross correlations for comparison with the peak in question.
 9. Thereceiver claimed in claim 6 wherein said cross correlation circuitry isprevented from determining cross correlation unless the higher powerpeak and the lower power peak satisfy predetermined criteria to at leastapproximately accomplish a check whether the higher power peak issufficiently higher in power than the lower power peak as to possiblycause cross correlation interference to the lower power peak.
 10. Thereceiver claimed in claim 6 wherein said cross correlation circuitry isoperable to determine whether the Doppler of the higher-power peak andthe Doppler associated with the selectable locally-issued PN code have avalue of Doppler difference close to an integer kilohertz (kHz) multipleaway from each other or not, and to permit generation of the variablecomparison value provided that the value of Doppler difference is closeto an integer kHz multiple.